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Copyright, 1885, 
by Harper & Brothers 



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HOW TO PLAY WHIST 



WITH THE LAWS AND ETIQUETTE OF WHIST 

AND 

FORTY FULLY ANNOTATED GAMES 



"FIVE OF QLUBS" 

(RICHARD A. ^^OCTOR) 
' The Play, the Play's the t\\\wgy —Shakespeare 




the most useful, after all 

Dr. Johnson 



Ni3 9oRK 
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS 
1885 



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HOW TO PLAY WHIST 




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Trump 






Club 2 










A (the Duke of Cnmherlnnd) having the lead, with this magnificent hand, and 
leading correctly, did not win a single trick. See p. 16i. 



PREFACE. 



The following chapters on the Theory and Practice of Whist 
originally appeared in Kiioicledge, and there had the advantage of 
the criticisms and suggestions of some of the finest exponents of 
the game. These criticisms have in many cases led to important 
modifications and improvements. The treatise has no claim to nov- 
elty as regards Whist principles ; in fact, outside the modern Signal- 
ling system and the absolute rejection of the Singleton lead, there 
is veiy little difference between the Whist of to-day and the Whist 
of Hoyle and Matthews. 

The method of presenting the Leads here adopted is much more 
easily followed than that usually employed. Learners are deterred 
by the multitudinous rules for leading from such and such hands, 
but grasp at once the rules for leading such and such cards. The 
^ain in simplicity is great. For instance, there are hundreds of 
hands from which the Ace is ''the correct card" to play, while 
ihere are only two conditions under which Ace should be led 
originally; moreover, when these two conditions have been noted, 
.:he meaning of an Ace lead is recognized at once. So it is with the 
:wo original King leads, the one original Queen lead, and so forth, 
in less than half an hour, by the method supplied here, the right 
?ard to lead and the right meaning of each lead, can be fully 
earned. I have extended the same method, as far as possible, to 
3lay second hand and third hand. 

As regards the general conduct of the game, the chief point of 
' lovelty in this work is that I have been careful to correct the com- 



I 



yi 



PREFACE. 



mon error that, because scientific Whist involves the long-suit sys- 
tem at starting, therefore the whole play of each hand should pro- 
ceed on that system. Many of .the rules which beginners learn are 
suitable only for the long-suit method ; yet there is scarcely one 
hand in ten in which one side or the other has not to give up (some- 
times quite early) all idea of bringing in a long suit. If I were 
asked what I regarded as the most valuable working quality in a 
partner, I should answer — Readiness in determining whether an 
aggressive game, aiming at the bringing in of a long suit, should be 
entered on, or a defensive policy pursued. 

With regard to the s^^stem of Signalling, I sympathize with the 
objections which have been urged against it by many fine players; 
but the system must be learned by all who wish to play Whist suc- 
cessfully. It must be learned for defence if not for attack. A 
player is not much worse off than his fellows if he determines, and 
lets the table know he has determined, never to play the call for 
Trumps, the Echo, or the Penultimate. He may even safely de- 
termine never to respond to the signal — indeed, with too many part- 
ners this is a most necessary precaution. Yet he can never escape 
the duty of noticing the signal. If he fail to do so, he will ere long 
find himself forcing the enemy's weak tmmp hand and omitting to 
force the strong (mistaking a response to the signal for an original 
trump lead) or committing some other Whist enormity. But I in- 
cline to judge from the objections of Pembridge, Mogul, and other 
strong players to the Signalling system, that they have not noticed 
its full meaning. For they speak of the Echo and Penultimate as 
if these conventions were seldom available. Especially is the Pe- 
nultimate of frequent use. Scarcely a hand is played without it. 
If my partner always leads the lowest but one from a five-card suit 
(not headed by cards requiring a high-card lead), then, if he leads a 
two, or a card which is shown by the play of the others or by my 
own hand to be the lowest of his suit, I know that he has not more 
than three cards left in the suit; and if the lead is not a forced one, 
I can infer pretty safely that he has just three left. This may prove 
most important knowledge, not only by showing the limits of the 



PEEFACE. 



vii 



suit, but by guiding me as to forcing the enemy in that suit. I put 
myself and my partner at a disadvantage, then, if I fail to observe 
the Penultimate modern method of play. 

The full importance of the modern system can only be under- 
stood when we recognize that : 

i you have justifying strength in trumps, and at least 
a. Unless ) 

one long and strong suit, or you can assist your partner in what 

he shows to be his long and strong suit, 

( signal ) 

1 ^ , . -, r f or trumps. 

( do not signal ) 



3. If ) 

4 Unless ) ^^^^^ originally, at least four trumps. 



in response either to the signal or to your partner's 



you have at least five cards in a suit play the 



( echo 
{ do not echo I 
trump lead. 

5. If ; 

6. Unless I 
c lowest but one ) 

( lowest card \ ^-^^^^^ where the leading cards are such that a 
high card has to be played. 

But I cannot too carefully warn the learner to be most chary of 
displaying the Trump signal; and especially to reject, as altogether 
unsuitable for him, Pole's rule, that you should always signal from 
five trumps. 

My own experience has been that the various conventions, so far 
from taxing the memory, serve greatly to help it. This had been 
already noticed in the case of the customary rules for leading, dis- 
carding, returning leads, and the like. Every act of attention to a 
rule helps to record the play in the mind. I cannot, indeed, under- 
stand why there should be any more effort in noticing signals than 
in trying to ascertain in other ways (as by examining your hand at 
starting) your prospects of success or failure. 



viii 



PREFACE. 



The learner will soon find that at times he must go counter to 
the customary rules if he would win or save a game. Hand 
XXVII., p. 122, is a remarkable case in point. Here Mr. Lewis 
neither led trumps from five, nor Ace from Ace four others in his 
long plain suit; because to have followed either rule would have 
been running counter to the only rule of play which is absolutely 
general — Play to Wm. 

The forty illustrative games are nearly all from actual play. 
They are chiefly intended to illustrate Whist principles, the way of 
forming inferences at Whist, and so forth. Several are fine ex- 
amples of Whist strategy. A few have been selected as examples 
of bad play. They differ from any such series hitherto published 
in being fully annotated,* and in having the full hand of each 
player displayed (with score, trump card, etc.), as if set round the 
Whist- table itself. The games (contributed to Knowledge original- 
ly) by Mr Lewis are particularly valuable. 

The Whist Whittlings include Whist stories, maxims, notes, cu- 
riosities, and problems. 

,To make the work complete, the Laws and Etiquette of Whist 
are added, and a glossary of Whist Terms in more or less common 
use. Five of Clubs. 

(Richard A. Proctor.) 



* Of the five games given by Professor Pole, two are uusouud, the play ap- 
proved beiug bad; two are merely examples of play from overwhelming strength, 
and the fifth (and last) is merely a Whist curiosity. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Introduction 1 

Chapter I. The Lead 6 

'* II. Play Second Hand 21 

" III. Play Third Hand 81 

" lY. Play Fourth Hand 37 

*' y. Returning Partner's Lead 40 

YI. General Conduct the Game. 43 

" YII. How TO Play Trumps 49 

" YIII. Discarding 58 

IX. Signalling 60 

" X. The Last Tricks 65 

Forty Illustrative Games 70 

Whist ^YHITTLINGS, &c 153 

Whist Laws, &c 181 

Etiquette of Whist 191 

Dummy 192 

Glossary of Whist Terms 193 

Solutions to Problems 197 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



INTRODUGTION. 

TThist, properly played, is the finest of all card games ; perhaps — 
not even excepting chess — the finest of all sedentary games. But 
Whist, as it is often played, without any knowledge or appreciation 
j of the real nature of the game, seems to have nothing making it 
, better worth playing than Pope Joan or Beggar my Neighbor, and 
I to be decidedly inferior to Euchre. There is an intermediate kind 
of Whist, the game played by persons who have a keen perception 
of the strategy of the game, but no knowledge of its language, 
which may be full of interest or full of annoyance, as the cards may 
happen to lie. To watch a proficient in this kind of Whist, play- 
ing a good hand, and ably supported by a steady-going partner who 
understands his ways, one would say Whist was the most delight- 
I ful of all games; but to see him playing an average hand, and to 
I note his wrath when his partner, considering his own hand, fails to 
I play precisely as he wishes, one would say Whist was a rather 
severe form of punishment. 

The present little treatise on Whist, and the problems, games, etc., 
\ which accompany it, are intended to indicate the nature of the only 
I game of Whist which is worth playing — Whist as a game between 
I two forces, two pairs of partners, each pair having between them 
j twenty-six cards. The game thus played (that is, with constant 
! reference by each player to the fact that he has a partner) may be 
regarded as a really scientific game. It is often called the book 
game, theoretical play, and by other names, implying that a fine 
player need care very little about it. But it is in truth the only 
common-sense, practically sound form of the game, and no one can 
be regarded as a really good, still less as a fine, player who does not 



2 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



play it. It has, moreover, the additional advantage of being read- 
ily learned by those who have not the capacity for really great play ; 
and when it has been learned, such players, though never brilliant, 
become good and safe partners. Moreover, by learning the rules 
of scientific Whist, which seem at first an extra trouble to the mem- 
ory, the learner finds that his power of remembering the fall of the 
cards is greatly increased. It is, indeed, the purposeless nature of 
ordinary unscientific Whist-play which makes it so difficult for the 
bad player to remember what cards have been played, and by 
whom. So soon as he has adopted just principles of play, each 
hand is played according to a plan, the development of which is 
full of interest, so that the stages are easily remembered. Each 
card is played with a purpose, and, whether the purpose succeed or 
fail, the result is noted and remembered, whereas, when there is no 
purpose, the memory has no such aid. 

In the scientific game of Whist you give your partner (always at 
the beginning, and almost always throughout the play of the hand) 
all the information in your power within the rules of the game. 
Cases may arise towards the end of a hand where it becomes clear 
that your partner can do nothing, and nothing can be lost by mis- 
leading him; then, and then only, false cards (deceiving him, but 
deceiving the adversaries also) may be usefully played. To this 
the objection is repeatedly made — especially by brilliant one-hand 
players — *'a player has but one partner while he has two adversa- 
ries, and by playing so as to give information to one friend he gives 
information to two enemies, or the harm exceeds the good twofold." 
The true answer to this objection does not seem to me to have been 
recognized by Pole, Cavendish, Clay, and other masters of the 
game, who have yet, of course, known perfectly well from practice 
that it is advantageous to give your partner all the information in 
your power. Cavendish says the objection would have considera- 
ble force if jou were compelled to expose the whole of your hand, 
but you possess the power of selecting what facts shall be an- 
nounced and what concealed. Pole says the objection ''involves 
a confusion in reasoning; for, if the opponents are equally good 
players, they will adopt the same system, and the positions must be 
equal; and if they are not good players, they will be incapable of 
profiting by the indications you give, and the whole advantage will 
rest with you;" adding that ''even good players seldom pay so 



INTRODUCTION. 



3 



much heed to their opponents' as to their partners' indications." 
Pole and Drayson agree in saying that by not giving your partner 
information, you run the risk of having to fight three opponents 
single-handed. Clay does not specifically consider the objection. 
[ The true answer seems to me to be different from any of these. 
The reply of ' ' Cavendish " implies that you may without disadvan- 
tage play false cards in the adversaries' suits: which is not often 
(though occasionally) the case. Pole's reply takes the system for 
granted, by assuming that good opponents will follow it ; and cer- 
tainly he does not reason soundly in suggesting that even good op- 
ponents pay less attention to their opponents' than to their partners' 
indications. It is also an exaggeration to speak of a partner as be- 
coming a third opponent if not duly informed as to your cards ; he 
may spoil a part of your plans, but cannot play as an opponent 
throughout, as that seems to imply. (The mischief is bad enough, 
without exaggeration.) The real reason why information to your 
partner is so important as to outweigh the knowledge given to the 
adversary, is that it is only by giving him information that your 
cards can be combined with his in the strategy of the hand. You 
tell him points about your hand which he can utilize, let the oppo- 
nents do what they will, although, of course, you may also give 
him information which he cannot utilize, whether because the ad- 
versaries have also learned it or not. Cases of the latter kind count 
neither one way nor the other; if you had not suggested such and 
such a plan he would not have tried it, and when you have told 
him he has not succeeded ; so that you are none the worse : all the 
cases of the former kind are so much clear gain. 

Take a familiar instance. I lead Ace, and follow with Queen of 
my best suit. My partner knows that I have the Knave left, and (if 
it is an original lead) he has reason to think I also have a small card 
left. Suppose he has the King in his own hand and a small one left 
after the first round. Now, according to the state of the score and 
of his own hand, it may be better to let the trick fall to my Queen, 
or to take it with his King, leaving me still the command of the suit 
with my Knave. By my play, showing that I have the Knave, I 
have left it open to him to do whichsoever of these two things may 
be best for both of us; and this choice he has, let the opponents act 
as they please. But suppose that, instead of following the recog- 
nized line of play for such cards, I lead the second round with my 



4 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



small card. My partner plays his King, and, let us suppose, wins 
the trick. He cannot now play as he would (as it might be abso- 
lutely essential to success that he should^ if he knew that I had the 
command of the suit. On the contrary, so far as he can understand 
me at all, he thinks I have three small cards of the suit left, and that 
probably (it is nearly two to one) the Queen lies with one of the ad- 
versaries. His consequent play in this case spoils our common 
game, whereas in the other case his play advances our common 
game. In either case it is Ms play, not the opponents', which affects 
our combined game for good or for ill. 

In fine, instead of the maxim, ''It is more useful to inform your 
partner than to deceive your adversary," I would substitute this, 
" Your single partner can do more good than both your adversaries 
can do harm, by utilizing information you may give by your play." 
(Good here includes the avoidance of harm ; we might supplement 
the rule by saying that your partner is likely to do much more mis- 
chief through ignorance of your hand, than could be counterpoised 
by any good which the adversaries might chance to do you.) 

It is the recognition by good players of this rule, as resulting from 
the general principle that partners should play in harmony and with 
a common purpose, which has led to the adopted system of Whist 
strategy. There are commonly more ways than one in which, if the 
partner's cards were seen, the qualities of the combined hands might 
be used; but there is only one system by which, in the actual method 
of play, your partner can work in harmony with you. That system 
being adopted, the principles guiding us in the opening of a hand, 
and determining the play of first, second, third, and fourth player, 
are readily deduced. 

Our books of Whist seem, indeed (and it has always seemed to me 
a fault in them), to require that the learner should know multitudi- 
nous rules for leading, and for playing second, third, and fourth; 
but in reality all these rules depend on two general principles: 
First, to play suits so as to make as many tricks in them as possible, 
taking duly into account the chance of their being ruffed; secondly, 
to play your best suit so as to get it established as early as possible, 
where there is a chance of bringing it in after trumps are out, or of 
using it to force out the enemy's trumps. I do not say that the 
player ought at once to know, from his knowledge of these princi- 
ples, his proper course as leader, second, third, or fourth player. He 



INTRODUCTION. 



5 



has not time to go through all the considerations involved in apply- 
ing these principles to particular cases. He must be content, there- 
fore, to retain a number of rules for such cases in his memory. But 
'his memory will be greatly helped, and the number of rules will be 
greatly diminished, when he recognizes the general principles on 
which modern Whist-play proceeds. 

' I shall now consider the various leads suggested by these princi- 
'ples, the play of second, third, and fourth hand, etc., endeavoring so 
to treat the matter that the memory may be as much as possible 
helped to retain the resulting rules, by recognizing the string on 
which these seemingly scattered beads of Whist wisdom are in re- 
ality strung. 



Chapter I. 



THE LEAD. 

GENERAL REMARKS ON LEADING. 

So soon as we have accepted the general principle that in Whist 
each player is to consider his partner's hand as well as his own, and 
that to make the most of the combined hands each partner must play 
a game which the other understands, we are at once able to decide 
on the proper way of conducting Whist strategy. Were it other- 
wise, the first consideration of each player would naturally be the 
nature of his own hand. He would play so as either to make all his 
strong cards at once, or to adopt the course which seemed to him 
best for making them in the long run. If he had a short suit he 
would try to get rid early of the cards of that suit, in order presently 
to trump the remaining good cards of the suit. And he would play 
his trumps solely with the object of making as many of them as he 
could. When every player follows such a course as this, the for- 
tunes of the different hands run very much as they do with good 
play, but the game is not Whist. It becomes simply a chance game, 
each player's success depending on the number of good cards which 
happened to fall to his share, or on the fortuitous occurrence of short 
suits with opportunities for trumping them. The advantage of the 
scientific game is that it requires skilful strategy, and calls into ac- 
tion many useful faculties. 

To tell my partner anything about the constitution of my hand, I 
must, in the first place, follow a systematic and generally understood 
method of selecting a suit to lead from, and, in the second place, I 
must open in the correct way a suit so selected. 

Now, considering first the selection of a suit, we note that there is 
only one quality which, being common to all hands, can be adopted 
for systematic guidance. K player tells his partner nothing useful 
by playing out his good cards, even if he made the best use he could 



THE LEAD. 



7 



of them for himself by showing them at once. Leading from a short 
i euit again is not only bad in itself — especially the atrocious lead 
1 from a single card which weak players affect — but it is not a method 
I of leading systematically available, for not every hand possesses a suit 
I of fewer than three cards. But every hand must possess a suit of 
I four cards, at least — that is, a long suit. If, then, for no other rea- 
! son, still for this, that, by so opening the hand, partner learns that 
i one holds four, at least, of that suit (save in a few exceptional cases), 
the long suit would be a good one to lead, if that were always under- 
stood to be the meaning of the lead. 

" But, apart from this, there is a manifest advantage — other things 
being equal — in leading from the long suit. This suit always has 
an element of strength, even though every card be small. Suppose, 
for instance, I have 2, 3, 4, 5 of a suit, an opponent has Ace, King, 
\ Queen, and the remaining six cards equally divided between the 
I other players. Then (though I by no means advise a lead from 2, 
3, 4, 5), if the holder of Ace, King, Queen draw three rounds, I re- 
main with 5 ; and, when trumps are drawn, that small card, if I get 
a lead, is as good as a trump; or, if I obtain a lead before all the 
i trumps are drawn, that small card would either make a trick or draw 
I a trump from the enemy, as well as an Ace or a King. By leading 
from a long suit, and getting that suit so far exhausted that I have 
commanding strength in it, I secure an element of strength for my 
hand which comes next in eiSciency to stTength in trumps. 

For the double reason, then, first that in that way you can tell your 
partner the chief constituent of your hand; secondly, that by so play- 
ing you are likely to strengthen your hand, your first lead should be 
from your longest suit. 
Of course, this rule, like all rules relating to a game so varied and 
: complex as Whist, is not without exceptions. 

I showed just now that a hand of four very small cards has a cer- 
I tain element of strength, which is wanting in a suit of the three high- 
est cards ; yet the latter has, of course, the greater strength. If you 
|! have two suits thus conslituted, one long, but very weak, the other 
I a three-card suit of good strength so far as the individual cards are 
I concerned, you would be showing your partner best the chief con- 
stituent of your hand by leading from the shorter but strong suit, 
than by leading from the other. But a three-card suit must be very 
Btrong, or a four-card suit very weak, for the former to be preferred 



8 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



in this way. There are several reasons for this, besides the general 
reason that long-suit leads, followed systematically, instruct the 
partner best. A suit which is short with you is likely to be long 
with one or another of your opponents; and, if so, you are playing 
their game by leading it. Again, commanding cards of a short suit 
are more useful as cards of re-entry, that is to give you a lead later 
in the game, than they can possibly be if used early in the play of 
the hand. If your long suit is very weak, your partner will very 
soon find that to be the case, and, by showing you where his strength 
lies, can serve your game, as a rule, better than you can serve his by 
opening a three-card suit, unless it be of absolutely commanding 
strength. 

When, having the original or first lead, we are obliged to lead from 
a short suit, or when we have four trumps not very strong, and three 
of each of the other suits, we should, in general, select that suit 
which is least likely to injure our partner or to benefit the adversary. 
Of course, if your best short suit is very strong, as Ace King Queen, 
Ace Queen Knave, Ace King Knave, or the like, you lead as from 
strength. Again, if you have to lead from Ace, or King, or Queen, 
and two small ones, you lead the smallest, so as nof to throw away 
the command of the suit. You suggest, indeed, to your partner that 
you have led from numerical strength; but that is the misfortune of 
your position. It is better to do that than to give up the command 
in what may be a strong suit of one of the adversaries. When you 
have Knave and two small ones, you should lead Knave; because 
the card cannot help you against strength held by the adversary, and 
if your partner is strong it may help him. 

But your best way of helping your partner, when you are obliged 
to lead from a short suit originally, is to play from a suit in whicf 
you have a strong sequence, such as Queen, Knave, ten ; or Queen, 
Knave, and another; or Knave, ten, and another. By leading the 
highest from such a sequence you help your partner, if he is strong 
in the suit, without materially weakening yourself, if the enemy 
should be strong in it. Next to such hands come hands in which 
you have two honors and a small one. The proper leads from three- 
card suits, as well as from long suits, will be considered in detail 
later. 

In considering thus far the lead from a suit of three cards, we have 
dealt with the original lead. If you have not the original lead, then, 



2 



THE LEAD. 



9 



even thougli only a single round has been played, you can generally 
form some idea of the suit you should select from among three weak 
non-trump suits. Thus, if your partner has led, and you have taken \ 
the trick, you should of course return his lead. Leading any other 
suit would imply that you had considerable strength in that suit, 
and certainly length in it. 

It can scarcely ever be advisable, no matter how your hand is con- 
stituted, to lead from Ace, King, or Queen, and one other. To lead 
from Ace King, or King Queen, or Queen Knave, alone, may, in cer- 
tain cases (never^s an original lead), be better than leading from a 
weak three- card suit. But in most cases of that kind it is better to 
lead from your four- card trump suit, even though it be weak. 

If you are fourth in hand, it is seldom right to lead from the suit 
opened by your left-hand adversary : unless, indeed, you took the 
trick very cheaply, or the fall of the cards in the first round showed 
that he is not very strong in that suit, in which case, by leading 
through him, you put him at a disadvantage. Many players seem 
to think that the excellent general rule, lead through strength (that 
is, lead a suit in which your left-hand adversary has high cards) is a 
rule to be universally followed, when you have no good suit of your 
own and do not know which is your partner's best suit. But if your 
left-hand adversary leads from a suit both strong and long, and you, 
making first trick, lead through him in that suit, you are simply 
playing his game. Of the other two suits (outside trumps), you 
select that which you can lead with least chance of aiding the 
adversaries. If it is a short suit, you should generally play the 
best of the suit: it is an even chance that your partner is strong 
in it. 

If you are second player, and take the first trick, you can hardly 
go wr(fng. Leading the suit your right-hand adversary had led 
would be doubly disadvantageous: you would be probably leading 
up to strength, and certainly helping to establish his suit. Of the 
other two suits, outside trumps, you select the best, and, if short in 
it, play the card most likely to help your partner. If you have thus 
led from a short suit, in which your left-hand adversary is strong, 
you at any rate lead through his strength. If your high card makes, 
and you then play a low one, your partner knows you have led from 
a short suit (or that you have made a forced lead), and infers that 
either you have four trumps, and no other four-card suit, or that 

2 



10 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



your only four-card suit is very weak. His own hand will help to 
show which of the two explanations is the more probable. 

With a five-card suit, however small the individual cards, it is sel- 
dom wrong to lead from the long suit, if you have good cards of re- 
entry. Cavendish, in his ' ' Card Essays, " says that the long suit 
should be led from, even with such a hand as this: Ace, King, 
Queen of Spades; eight of Clubs; Ace, King, Queen, and three of 
Diamonds (trumps) ; nine, eight, six, four, three of Hearts. 

The customary way of treating leads at Whist is found perplexing 
by beginners. A number of suits are considered, and the proper 
lead from each is indicated, with perhaps the play second round, 
until the learner wonders how much he is expected to remember of 
what appears to him a perfectly heterogeneous collection of rules. 
Thus, take Captain Campbell Walker's very useful book, ' ' The 
Correct Card. " In this there are 36 cases of suits headed by an Ace, 
with the play for each; 18 cases of suits headed by King; 7 of suits 
headed by Queen; 9 of suits headed by Knave; 4 of suits headed by 
ten ; and 2 of suits headed by a small card. In all, 76 cases are con- 
sidered. The natural idea of the learner is that he ought to commit 
to memory all these 76 cases, with the exceptions noted in nineteen 
notes, before he can lead properly; while, after that, he will have to 
learn an equally voluminous series of rules for play second hand, 
third hand, and fourth hand. He naturally despairs of accomplish- 
ing this without giving much more time to the matter than the game, 
good though it is, seems worth. 

But even when the learner has committed all these rules to mem- 
ory, he still finds that there is something — embodied, indeed, in 
them, but not obviously expressed by them — which it is absolutely 
essential that he should grasp. He requires to know not only 
what he should lead from a given suit, but what ea?h lead 
means. 

Now it does not seem to have been noticed by writers on Whist 
that by beginning at the other end they get rules much more easily 
remembered, because at once made practically available, and also 
much fewer in number. In point of fact, the rules which seem 
without system have a system at the back of them, and this system 
is at once displayed when we reverse the usual method of presenting 
the rules for leading, and begin by asking what particular leads may 
mean. Afterwards, if we have plenty of time to waste, we may col- 



THE LEAD. 



11 



lect together a few hundreds of such rules and exceptions as appear 
in Captain Walker's book. 

WHEN TO LEAD AN ACE. 

We begin, then, by considering, not the multitudinous leads from 
suits headed by an Ace, but from what suits, containing an Ace, the 
Ace should be led. It will be seen that there are only a few cases 
in which Ace is led, and these easily remembered; and also that, 
once we know when an Ace should be led, we know what the Ace 
lead means. 

When, then, should an Ace be led? 

From long suits, and from suits of not less than three, Ace is only 
led: 

(1) from Ace and four or more others (not including King). 

(2) from Ace, Queen, Knave, with or without others. 

From suits of two cards (which it can hardly ever be right to 
open — and never__as an original lead) containing an Ace, Ace is al- 
ways led. 

From long suits, then, or suits of three, which only are in question 
in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, there are only two cases to be 
considered. 

The play second round, supposing the Ace not trumped, will show 
from what sort of suit the Ace was led. For, 

(1) If Ace is led from Ace, four small ones, or more, a small card 
is led second round. 

(2) If Ace is led from Ace, Queen, Knave, and others, either the . 
Queen or the Knave is played second round — the Queen, if the suit 
did not originally contain more than four cards, the Knave if it did. 
Thus, when your partner leads an Ace, you know at once that he 

has not Jhe King. If you have the Queen or the Knave, you know 
he has not led from Ace, Queen, Knave, and therefore that he has 
four more cards in the suit. 

If the lead is not an original lead, and the play has given reason 
to believe that your partner has been driven to a forced lead, the 
Ace may have been led from Ace and another. This seldom hap- 
pens, but when it does the previous circumstances of the play, and 
what follows the forced lead (together with the study of your own 
hand), will almost always show you that the lead has not been from 
strength. 



12 HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 

We may note, in passing, that on the Continent, Ace is led from 
Ace and three others (not including King), though the laws of prob- 
ability point to the play as not the best. It is well to remember, 
however, when playing with Continental players, that this is the rule 
with them. 

An exceptional case, when Ace is led from Ace, King, and others, 
is considered under the next heading. 

WHEN TO LEAD KD^G (PLAIN SUITS). 

From a long suit, or from a suit of three at least. King is only led 
under two conditions, viz. : . 

(1) From Ace, King, and others. I 

(2) From King, Queen, and others. j 
In the case of a forced lead from King and one other, the King is 

always led. 

In case (1), follow the King with the Ace, unless you hold Ace-, 
King, Queen, in which case play Queen second round. In case (2), 
if your King wins, lead a small one, unless you hold Knave also, 
when follow with Queen, or Knave, according as you held four, or 
more, originally. 

Young players, when corrected for leading Ace from Ace, King, 
and others, ask w^hat difference it can make, seeing that both cards 
are of equal strength. To this they add sometimes that, as it is a 
recognized rule to lead the highest of a sequence (following suit 
with the lowest), there seems a disadvantage in making what appears 
like an unnecessary exception. 

So far as making the strong cards of your suit is concerned, it is a 
matter of indifference whether you lead Ace or King. But if you 
follow the rule of leading King from King, Ace, and others, you en- i 
able your partner to understand you better. You make your Ace i 
leads more intelligible. If you led Ace uniformly from Ace King, 
an Ace lead might mean any of three things : (i.) Ace four or more, 
(ii.) Ace, Queen, Knave, with or without others, and (iii.) Ace, King, ' 
and others. Your partner would often be in doubt which of the 
three you led from ; whereas he can scarcely ever be in doubt which 
of the two ordinary cases is in question, even though you should be 
unable to follow up your lead. 

As for the lead of King from Ace, King, and others being an ex- 
ception to the useful general rule, ''Lead the highest from a se- 



THE LEAD. 



13 



quence," the point is of no importance; for the exception is not one 
that can ever cause any confusion. In fact it is becoming a recog- 
nized Whist principle that one of the great uses of general rules is 
that they afford an opportunity for giving your partner information 
by departing from them in certain recognized cases. Of this we 
saw an example in the lead second round from Ace, Queen, Knave, 
with or without others (p. 11, 1. 25-28). After winning with the Ace, 
the Queen would be the proper lead, if we followed the general rule 
of leading the highest of a sequence. When the original suit is only 
of moderate length (three or four), the Queen is led; but when the 
suit is of more than average length (five or more), we depart from 
the rule, and lead Knave second round. Thus, whether we follow 
the general rule or depart from it, we give our partner information, 
yet without in any way affecting the strength of our suit. 

There is one case, and one only, in which from Ace, King, and 
others, Ace should be led : 

If, before getting the lead, you have trumped in one suit, and 
should then lead King of another suit, your partner, if he had no 
cards in the suit (a contingency always to be considered) might see 
an opportunity of establishing a cross ruff or seesaw, by which, per- 
haps, four or five tricks might be made. He would, therefore, trump 
your King, considering that Ace might lie with fourth player, and 
lead the suit which you had trumped. To avoid this, you lead in 
such a case your Ace first, then your King. 

When a King has been led first round, your partner knows from 
the way the cards fall whether the lead was from Ace, King, and 
others, or from King, Queen, and others. If you have led from 
King, Queen, one of the opponents will generally cover your King 
with Ace. If neither plays the Ace, your partner may be almost 
certain you hold it. But, as a matter of fact, no one at the table re- 
mains in doubt about the meaning of a King lead, unless the King 
is trumped, or the play shows that there will be a ruff next round. 
For if the King makes, Ace usually follows at once if the lead was 
from Ace, King; and a small card if the lead was from King, Queen 
(in which case — the first round having passed — the Ace is usually 
with partner): for il is generally bad play to pass an opponent's 
King if you hold the Ace. 

Thus, just as when the Ace is led (in any case except that of a 
forced lead), the second round at once shows which of the two suits 



14 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



has been opened from which Ace should be led; so is it when a 
King is led : we can always tell from the second round at latest what 
suit has been led from— Ace, King, and others, or King, Queen, and 
others. 

There is one exception — very seldom advisable in plain suits — 
viz. , when the King is led from Ace, King, Knave, with or without 
others. Then leader sometimes changes suit, that he may be led 
up to and finesse with the Knave. 

WHEN TO LEAD QUEEN (PLAIN SUITS). 

The Queen is led from a long suit, or from a suit of three at 
least, only in the following cases : 

(1) Queen, Knave, ten, with or without small ones. 

(2) Queen, Knave, and one small one. 

In the case of a forced lead from Queen and one other, the Queen 
is always led. 

After Queen from suit (1), Knave is led, if there is only one card, 
or none, below the ten ; ten if there are more. 

WHEN TO LEAD KNA\^ (PLAIN SUITS). 

The Knave is led from a long suit, or from a suit of three at 
least, only in the following cases : 

(1) King, Queen, Knave, and not less than two others (not in- 
cluding ten). 

(3) Knave, ten, nine, with or without others. 
(3) Knave and two others. 

In the case of a forced lead from Knave and one other. Knave is 
always led. 

After Knave from suit (1), King is led whether Ace has fallen or 
not ; from suit (2), ten is led if there is only one card, or none below 
the nine; nine, or lowest of-head sequence, if there are more. 

VTHEN TO LEAD TEN (PLAIN SUITS). 

The ten is led from a long suit, or a suit of three, only in the fol- 
lowing cases : 

(1) King, Queen, Knave, ten, with or without others (not in- 

cluding nine). 

(2) King, Knave, ten, with or without others. 

(3) Ten, nine, eight, seven. 

(4) Ten, two others. 



THE LEAD. 



15 



After leading ten from (1), follow with King, if you have no 
small cards, otherwise with Knave ; if ten, led from (2) should win, 
lead a small one, if you have one, otherwise wait to be led through; 
after ten from (3), lead nine; after ten from (4), lead highest left. 

WHEN TO LEAD NINE (PLAIN SUITS). 

Lead nine from f our-card or three-card suit, only in the following 
cases : 

(1) King, Knave, ten, nine, with or without small ones (not 

including eight). 

(2) Nine, eight, seven, six. 

(3) Nine and two others. 

WHEN TO LEAD A SMALL CARD (PLAIN SUITS). 

A small card is led from Ace, two or three small ones (except by 
Continental players, who lead Ace, as already mentioned, from Ace 
three small ones) ; from King and others, not including Queen ; 
from Queen, Knave, and small ones (two or more); from Queen or 
Knave and small ones; from ten and small ones (three at least); 
from a suit of four small ones, when the lowest is played; and from 
a suit of fewer than four small ones (a forced lead), when the high- 
est is played. 

WHEN TO LEAD LOWEST BUT ONE. 

From a suit of five cards or more, not headed by the Ace, the 
lowest but one is played. This lead is called the Penultimate. 

[Some add to this the Ante-penultimate lead, or lowest but two 
from six or more.] 

ADDENDUM TO PLAIN SUIT LEADS. 

The leads above considered are supposed to be either original 
leads from long or strong suits, or forced leads with no knowledge 
of your partner's strength in the suit led. In every case of a forced 
lead from a short suit, where you have reason to believe that your 
partner has strength in the suit, the highest is played, so that from 
Ace two others you lead Ace in this case, following with the next 
highest. Similarly, from King two others you play King, then 
next highest; from Queen two others, Queen, then next highest; 
from Knave two others. Knave, then next highest. This last is the 
constant lead from Knave two others (so from ten two others, you 



16 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



play ten, then next highest): when your partner has not indicated 
strength, there is some use in leading lowest from Ace two others, 
King two others, or Queen two others ; but manifestly keeping back 
the Knave or ten (with two others) can be of no use to you, while 
playing it may help your partner. 

THE LEAD IN TRUMPS. 

The lead in trumps differs in one important respect from the lead 
in plain suits — there is no fear that a good card will be lost, if kept 
back, by being trumped. We can, therefore, play with safety a 
waiting game ; indeed, it is often advantageous to do so, because so 
much often depends on winning the last round in trumps.* An- 
other difference between trump cards and others arises from the 
circumstance that you need not so carefully indicate your strength 
by playing an obviously winning card; for there is no possibility 
of your partner hurting you by trumping a card which he may mis- 
take for a losing one. The chief variations of the trump lead from 
a lead in plain suits depend on these considerations — principally on 
the former. 

Thus, in trumps, from Ace, King, and not more than five others, 
a small card should be played ; this insures the numerical command 
in trumps if you have five others, and is the best way towards ob- 
taining it if you have less than five. Besides, by this course you 
give your partner a good chance of winning the first trick. Of 
course, if you have six small ones besides Ace and King, you have 
the numerical command, even if all the remaining trumps are in 
one hand; you therefore play King, then Ace. 

Again, from Ace, King, Queen, alone, in plain suits, you lead 
King, then Queen. In trumps, having no fear that Queen will be 
lost, you lead Queen first, then King. So with Ace, King, Queen, 
Knave, you lead King first in plain suits; in trumps you lead the 
lowest of the sequence, the Knave. 

Again, in plain suits from Ace and four or more others, not in- 
cluding King, you lead Ace, because of the risk that in the second 
round it might be trumped. Having no such fear in the trump 

* We do not mean simply having the last winning trump, for this may be left in, 
and the opponents' strong suits yet played out to the bitter end; but winning 
the last round of trumps, so as to be able to bring in a strong suit either of your 
own or your partner's. 



THE LEAD. 



17 



suit, you lead the smallest but one, unless you have at least six 
small ones, in which case, being sure of the numerical command, 
you lead Ace. 

In trumps from King, Queen, and two or more small ones, a 
small card is led, instead of the King, as in plain suits; but with 
more than five small ones, begin with King. 

Some trump leads differ from plain-suit leads and ordinary trump 
leads, on account of the trump card being of a particular value. 
Thus, from Ace, Knave, ten, and nine, the nine would be led in 
plain suits; so, also, nine would be led in trumps, unless Queen is 
turned up on the left, when Ace should be played. Again, from 
King, Knave, two or more small ones, the lowest is led in plain 
suits, and ordinarily in trumps ; but if ten is turned up to the right, 
the Knave is led. In trumps, from Knave, ten, eight, with one or 
more small ones, lead the lowest, as in plain suits, unless nine is 
turned up on your right, when lead Knave. 

SYNOPSIS OF LEADS. 

It may now be convenient to sum up the various leads, in such 
a form that they can be readily studied at a glance and easily re- 
membered. We would invite those who have tried to retain in 
their recollection the multitudinous leads given in the books hereto- 
fore published, to note how simple the Whist leads are when viewed 
as we have presented them. We venture to say — indeed we know, 
having tested the matter — that a more perfect knowledge of the 
leads at Whist can be gained in a week by considering when to 
lead Ace, King, Queen, and so forth, than in two months at least 
by the usual method of considering what card to lead from each of 
the numerous combinations which the cards may present. More- 
over it is found in practice that a learner who has followed our 
method at once picks up the habit of interpreting the leads of oth- 
ers, whereas one who has followed the other method is often a long 
time in passing from a knowledge of what he should lead to the 
ready recognition (instant recognition, it should be, after a little 
practice) of the meaning of any given lead. 

LEADS rJs PLAEN SUITS. 

Lead Ace, from Ace, with four or more others, not including 
King; from Ace, Queen, Knave, with or without others; from Ace, 



18 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



two others (not including King), if you have reason to believe that 
your partner has strength in the suit; and from Ace one other, 
whatever this other may be. The last two cases are, of course, 
forced leads. 

After leading Ace, from Ace four or more, follow * with lowest 
(unless you adopt Drayson's plan of following with lowest but one 
if there are more than four others). After leading Ace from Ace, 
Queen, Knave, follow with Queen if you have not more than one 
small one of the suit, otherwise follow with Knave. When you 
lead Ace from Ace two others (forced lead), follow with highest. 
Lead Ace from Ace, King, and others, when you have trumped an- 
other suit, lest your partner should trump your King to establish a 
cross ruff. 

Lead King, from Ace, King, and others; from King, Queen, and 
others (unless these others, being more than two, include the 
Knave); from King two others (forced lead), if you have reason to 
believe that your partner has strength in the suit; and from King 
one other (forced lead) whatever that other may be. 

After leading King from Ace, King, and others, follow with Ace, 
unless you hold Queen, in which case follow with Queen, or unless 
you hold Knave, in which case you may sometimes (if the state of 
the score seems to render it advisable) change suit, that you may be 
led up to and finesse the Knave. After leading King from King, 
Queen, and others, if King makes, follow with small one, unless 
you hold Knave also, when follow with Queen (not with small one, 
because Ace may have been held up). When you lead King from 
King two others (forced lead), follow with highest if King makes. 

Lead Queen from Queen, Knave, ten, with or without others; 
from Queen, Knave, and one small one (forced lead); from Queen 
two others, not including Knave (forced lead), only if you have rea- 
son to believe that your partner has strength in the suit ; and from 
Queen and another (forced lead) whatever that other may be. 

After leading Queen from Queen, Knave, ten, follow with Knave, 
unless you have five or more, when follow with lowest of the 
Queen, Knave, ten sequence. After forced lead from Queen two 
others, if Queen makes, follow with highest. 

*When we thus speak of second round, we do not wish the reader to forget 
that the first round may show it to be unadvisable to continue the suit; it may 
\ seem better to leave your own suit aud lead your partner's, or to lead trumps, etc. 



THE LEAD. 



19 



Lead Knave from King, Queen, Knave, and not less than two 
others (not including ten) ; from Knave, ten, nine, with or without 
others; from Knave and two others (forced lead), and from Knave 
one other (forced lead). 

After leading Knave from King, Queen, Knave, etc. , follow with 
King if you have two small ones, with Queen if you have more. 
After leading Knave from Knave, ten, nine, lead ten if there is only 
one card below the nine, the nine if there are more. After leading 
Knave from Knave two others, whatever they may be, follow with 
highest. 

Lead ten from King, Queen, Knave, ten, with or without others; 
from King, Knave, ten, with or without others ; from ten, nine, 
eight, seven; from ten two others, or ten one other (forced leads). 
After leading ten from King, Queen, Knave, ten, follow with King 
if you have no small card, otherwise with Knave. After ten from 
King, Knave, ten, play a small one if ten makes. After forced 
lead of ten play your highest. 

Lead nine from King, Knave, ten, nine; and in case of forced 
lead, from nine two others. 

Lead a small card from all suits not considered in the above 
synopsis. Lead the lowest from four cards, the lowest but one 
from five or more (the lowest but two from six or more, if you care 
to adopt Drayson's rule) ; the highest from three or two small cards. 

Note that it can scarcely ever happen that playing the lowest but 
one or two for the purpose of indicating length can be mistaken 
by your partner for a forced lead from two or three small cards, or 
vice versa. 

We have already considered concisely, yet fully, the distinction 
between trump leads and leads from plain suits. 

Observe that, short as the above synopsis seems, considering the 
multiplicity of Whist leads as usually presented, it would be very 
much shorter if it dealt only with original leads. For these one 
may say that all the beginner need learn is summed up in the 
following : 

Lead Ace from Ace and four others, following with small one; 
and from Ace, Queen, Knave, with or without others, following 
with Queen, if you have not more than one small one, otherwise 
with Knave. Lead King from Ace, King and others, following 
with Ace ; and from King, Queen, and others, following with small 



20 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



one. Lead Queen from Queen, Knave, ten, following with Knave, 
unless you have five or more, when play lowest of head sequence. 
Lead Knave from King, Queen, Knave, an(J two or more, from 
Knave, ten, nine, with or without small ones. Lead ten from King, 
Queen, Knave, ten, and from King, Knave, ten, with or without 
others. Lead nine from King, Knave, ten, nine. In other cases 
lead a low one, the lowest if you have only four cards, the lowest 
but one if you have more. 

Let the learner combine with this the general rule, that if he is 
obliged to lead from a weak suit, he always plays the best card of 
it, unless he has either Ace, King, or Queen, with two small ones. 
He now knows nearly all that he need know about leading from 
plain suits. All that he need at first notice about leading from 
trumps, is, that he can more safely play a waiting game in that 
suit, as his good cards in it cannot be lost by trumping; also that 
he must consider the trump card. The play in trumps is also apt 
to be modified by considerations depending on the state of the 
score, the position of the cards in other hands, and so forth. 



Chapter II. 



PLAY SECOND HAND. 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

There are few points which distinguish more thoroughly the 
good from the inferior Whist-player than the play second hand. 
I am not, of course, referring to players so inexperienced as to 
know no other rule than ''second hand play low;" nor are the 
rules for play second hand, at least in the opening rounds of a 
game, less definite than those for leading. But somehow it hap- 
pens that many players who very seldom lead unwisely, who know 
well when to play highest and when to finesse third in hand, and 
when it is essential to success to win partner's trick fourth hand, 
are apt to trust, second hand, to chances which are demonstrably 
against them. Given, for instance, an original lead of a small card 
(plain suit), second player with Queen and a small one ( and no 
special reason for risking something to get. a lead), how often do 
we see the Queen played, though it is known that, in the greater 
number of cases, the card is thus thrown away. Of course, the 
play often steals a trick. Perhaps in two cases out of five it may 
do so, but it is bad, because in a greater number of cases it fails ; 
and in every case it suggests for a while to partner that you held 
either the Queen alone, or King, Queen, and a small one. So in 
other cases which might be cited. 

The rules for play second hand are in reality sufficiently simple, 
though here, as in the case of the lead, they seem multitudinous. 

We note, first, that in general, a low card is to be played second 
hand; for, in the first place, the suit is presumably your adversa- 
ries', and it is well to keep the commanding cards of their suit; 
and, in the second place, your partner lies at an advantage over 
third player, who ordinarily must play his highest, lest the trick 
should fall an easy prey to your partner, By playing high second 



22 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



hand you waste a good card, whether third hand takes the trick or ' 
your partner ; you are rather worse off too, if, though you take the 
trick, partner could have won it had you left it to him; for when ^ 
the suit is returned, the lead will be through your partner's strength j 
to your hand, weakened by the loss of its best card in the suit. \ 
You only gain if it so chances that neither third hand nor your ! 
partner has a better card; and it is unwise to play for only one 
among several chances. 

Yet, still supposing the suit your adversaries', and that you have 
originally not more than three cards, it may happen that a high 
card should be played. Thus, if you have Ace, King, one or more 
small ones ; King, Queen, and one or more small ones ; Queen, 
Knave, and one small one; Knave, ten, and one small one; or ten, 
nine, and one small one;* play .the lowest of the sequence. In the 
first case, you win the trick and still have the commanding card 
of the suit; in the other cases, if you do not win the trick, you 
avoid the risk of its being taken with a low card by third in hand, 
or your partner compelled to play a very high card. 

Again, if a high card is led, and you hold a higher card and one 
or two small ones, it is generally best to cover. If third in hand 
take the trick, two good cards have fallen from the enemy tp make 
one trick. 

We must now, however, enter upon the discussion of the play i 
second hand in detail. We shall endeavor (though the task is not j 
so easy as in the case of the lead) to reduce the play to system, j 
instead of presenting some forty or fifty rules, as has usually been 1 
done. j 

It is not easy to systematize the play second hand, like the leads. 
To begin with, the lead is always guided by one of two consider- 
ations : it is either from strength, or, when from weakness, it is 
played to help partner as much as may be. In most cases it is i 
from strength, and there can then be no question as to the card to \\ 
be played, and very little as to the meaning of a card which has ' 
been played. But the second player may have strength or weak- 
ness, or neither strength nor weakness, in the suit led, and his play j i 
thus depends on a greater possible variety of positions. Then, ji 
again, it depends on the lead; so that we cannot say, as we can in \] 
the case of the lead, such and such a card means such and such a ji 
suit, but must take into account the card led in the suit. It thus jj 



PLAY SECOND HAND. 



23 



becomes impossible to present anything like such simple rules, 
either for playing second hand, or for the interpretatiroa of the play 
second hand, as in the case of the lead. 

To proceed systematically, let us consider the leads as presented 
in the preceding chapter and the corresponding play of second 
hand. Fortunately we can dismiss a number of cases very quickly. 

PLAY SECOND HAND WHEN ACE, KING, OR QUEEN IS LED (PLAIN 

suits). 

When Ace is led, of course, second hand has only to play his 
lowest, unless he wishes to signal, when he plays his lowest but 
one. When King is led, second player, if he holds Ace, puts it on 
(''covers," is the technical expression), otherwise plays his lowest, 
unless to signal — a case we shall not hereafter specially refer to. 
When Queen is led, we know that the leader does not hold Ace or 
Queen, and, unless the lead is from a weak suit (a forced lead), that 
he does hold both Knave and ten. If second hand holds both Ace 
and King, he would, of course, play the King. If, of these two 
cards, he holds Ace and others, whether long or short in the suit, 
he plays the Ace. If he holds King and others, his play will de- 
pend on his strength in the suit; if short in the suit, it is better to 
cover ; if long, to pass the Queen, playing, in fact, on the same 
principles which guide in leading from weakness on the one hand 
and from strength on the other. The play second hand, when 
Queen is led, depends on the consideration that, if Ace is held by 
third hand, it will not be played unless King is played second hand, 
when, of course, it will be played by third hand. Now, if third 
player holds Ace, and second player having King is short in the 
: suit, he can gain nothing by failing to cover. Leader will know 
, Ace lies with third pla^^er, and will lead again (the lowest of his 
! head sequence) when the King, if again kept back, will be un- 
! guarded, so that a third round will cause the King to fall to the 
Ace. If, however, the suit is long, this danger does not exist, and 
i there is a greater probability that Ace will fall or the suit be ruffed 
early. On the other hand, if fourth player has Ace, it is still sec- 
ond player's interest to keep back the King if he is long in the suit. " 
His partner will take the trick with the Ace, and whether second 
round is led by original leader or his partner, the King will capture 
another card of the head sequence, with good chance that the last 



24 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



will be played third round. If, however, second player was short 
in the suit, of course he gains nothing by thus clearing it : it is best 
for him, therefore, to cover with King second round, even if his 
partner holds the Ace. 

When Queen is led and second player holds King, ten, and one 
other, the question may arise whether it is not better to hold up the 
King, on the chance that, partner taking trick with Ace, the return 
of the suit (when the leader's partner gets the lead) may find second j 
player with the tenace. It is, however, better, on the whole, to ! 
cover in this case. The lead is in all probability from Queen, 
Knave, and one other; it is certainly a forced lead; and it is an 
even chance that partner holds the Ace, and also an even chance 
that he has numerical strength as against third hand. It is about 
three to one that one of these conditions holds, and in either case | 
playing King second hand is good. If your partner holds the Ace, | 
you and he still have the command; and if he has length, you help | 
to clear his suit, by placing the King. The state of the score may \ 
occasionally justify departure from this rule, however. 

It is scarcely likely that when Queen is led, second player should | 
hold King and Knave, with or without others, for this can only ' 
happen when Queen has been led from Queen and a small one, a j 
lead only justified by the absolute impropriety (shown by previous j 
play) of leading from long suit, and clear evidence that partner is | 
strong in the suit so led. Of course, if this should happen, the | 
King is played. In fact, almost invariably when second player i 
holds — with other card or cards — a fourchette for a high card led j 
(that is, King-Knave for a Queen; Queen-ten for a Knave; Knave- 
nine for a ten ; and so on) he should cover. j 

PLAY SECOND HAND WHEN KNAYE IS LED. 

Knave, as an original lead, is played only (see synopsis of leads, 
pages 18, 19), (1) from King, Queen, Knave, and two or more small 
ones; and (2) from Knave, ten, nine, with or without small ones; 
except in the unusual case that original leader holds four trumps 
and three three-card suits, when Knave may be led from Knave 
and two small cards. If then second player holds either King or 
Queen, he knows the lead is not from (1); while, if he holds either 
ten or nine, he knows it is not from (2) ; and, lastly, if he holds one 
of the first set, as well as one of the second set, he knows that the 



PLAT SECOND HAND. 



25 



lead is a forced one, the leader having probably no four-card plain 
suit. Taking the two more common cases of a Knave lead, second 
player, if he holds King or Queen only, above the Knave, showing 
that the lead is from Knave, ten, nine, and others, should play a 
small one, unless with the Queen he holds the ten, when he should 
play the Queen. But this last case is little likely to occur, as it 
would imply that Knave had been led from Knave and one or two 
small ones. If second player holds both King and Queen, he should 
cover Knave with Queen. If he holds Ace and Queen with or 
without small ones, he should play the ace, knowing that leader 
does not hold the King, so that covering with Queen is useless, 
whether third player or partner hold the King. If, when Knave is 
led, second player has no card above it, he will, of course, play his 
lowest. If second player holds King, nine, or Queen, nine, the 
lead is probably a forced one — from Knave and two small ones; it 
is, therefore, useless to put on the higher card, unless circumstances 
render it very desirable to gain the lead. But usually the small 
card would be played, leaving partner to take the trick if he can. 

PLAY SECOND HAND WHEN TEN OR NINE IS LED. 

Here the principles are much the same as in the previous case. 
Ten (see synopsis of leads) is only led from King, Queen, Knave, 
ten, and from King, Knave, ten, with or without others. There- 
fore, if second player holds the Queen, with nothing to show that 
the lead is forced (and ten is very unusual as a forced lead), he 
knows that the lead is from King, Knave, ten, and should play the 
Queen, or not, according as she is singly or doubly guarded. It is 
obviously useless to retain her if she is only singly guarded, for she 
must fall next round; and as obviously unwise to play her if she 
has two_guards or more. If ten is led, and second player holds 
Knave and nine (a fourchette), of course Knave should be played. 
The lead, with these cards outside the leader's hand, is very un- 
usual, being from ten and one or two small ones. Nine is only led 
from King, Knave, ten, nine, with or without others. If second 
player, then, holds Queen only singly guarded, he should play her ; 
but if she is doubly or trebly guarded, he should play his lowest. 

PLAY SECOND HAND WHEN SMALL CARD IS LED. 

The rules for play second hand when a small card is led are 
3 



26 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



nearly all included in the general instructions already given. When 
second player is long in the suit led, he plays somewhat as he would 
if the suit were his own, and he were leading: only that, first, in 
playing one of a sequence he always plays the lowest; and, second- 
ly, as his partner is in a more favorable position, being fourth 
player instead of third, he leaves more open to him. For instance, 
in leading from Ace and four small ones. Ace is played; but if 
second player holds these cards he plays a small one, unless the 
game is in a critical state, and either one trick or a lead is much 
needed ; or if first player is one of those who affect the lead from a 
singleton. So when an honor is led and you hold a higher honor 
and are long in the suit, you pass the trick, except you have strong ! 
reason for desiring a lead (or wish to stop a trump lead, but that 
case belongs to play second hand in trumps). When, however, you 
hold Ace, Queen, and others second hand, a small card being led, 
your play is unlike that which you would adopt in leading from 
such a hand. Thus, with Ace, Queen, Knave, with or without 
others. Ace is always led ; but with these cards second in hand, you 
play the Knave (or lowest of Queen Knave sequence). From Ace, 
Queen, ten. Queen is to be played; for if third player covers, you 
remain with the tenace, so that unless led through again, and Knave 
lies with third player, you are sure to make two tricks in the suit 
(apart from ruffing). From Ace, Queen, and one or two small 
ones, you play second hand a small one on a small card led. From 
Ace, Queen, and three small ones or more, you play Queen, if weak 
in trumps, smallest if strong. From King, Queen, and small ones 
(long suit) you play from the head sequence — but the Queen, in- 
stead of the King (as you would if leading). 

When you are short in the suit led, you play second hand on 
somewhat the same principles as in the case of the forced lead of a 
suit in which you have no reason to believe your partner strong. You i 
Ulay, of course, the lowest instead of the highest of a sequence, and 
you leave more to your partner, as he is more favorably placed. 

But if you hold only two cards in the suit led, you reverse, as 
second player, the rule which holds, almost without exception, in 
the unusual case of a forced lead from a two-card suit. Thus, if ; 
you hold King, or Queen, or Knave, and one small one, you play 
the small one — not the honor (in plain suits), unless you have some 
special reason for desiring to obtain the lead, in which case the- 



PLAY SECOND HAND. 



27 



King may be played, second hand, from King one small one. 
Many skilful players of their own hand maintain, with some ob- 
stinacy, that Queen should be played, second hand, from Queen one 
small one, because the chance of her falling is so great, greater 
than that of King falling when you retain him second in hand. 
The chance of a singly guarded Queen making is always much less 
than that for a singly guarded King; but you do not increase it by 
playing the Queen in such a case. You know certainly that either 
King or Ace lies with third and fourth players. If third holds 
either, your Queen falls. It may be, third player puts on King, 
and your partner takes the trick with the Ace, in which case you 
have the satisfaction of knowing that you have thrown away your 
Queen. Of course, if your partner holds Ace, and third player 
does not hold a King, you gain by putting on the Queen. But this 
is practically the only case in your favor. The matter may be put 
thus: One of the following arrangements must hold; as it is certain, 
from the lead of a small one, that leader has not both Ace and King, 

By playing Queen. 

3d holds Ace and King You throw her away. 

4th You gain a trick. 

3d 4th holds King or not . . . You throw her away. 

3d holds King, 4th holds Ace You lose a trick. 

" ' ' * * not Ace You throw her away. 

3d weak, 4th holds Ace You gain a trick. 

" King You probably gain a trick. 

There is, you observe, a balance in favor of the play of Queen sec- 
ond hand turning out unfavorably. 

Cavendish gives a reason for playing the small card, the force of 
which some Whist-players seem not to recognize. He says that 
playing the Queen unnecessarily exposes your weakness, and en- 
ables the leader to finesse when the suit is returned. As the Queen 
is the proper card to play if you hold King, Queen, and a small 
one, you expose your weakness to the player who holds King. If 
he is the leader, he can finesse the ten if he holds it or his partner 
leads it, on the return of the suit, knowing you do not hold the 
Knave. He may even finesse the nine if it suits him; a finesse 
against only one card. If the third player holds the King, he puts 
it on, and your weakness is exposed to both adversaries, who can 



28 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



finesse under equally favorable conditions. Of course, if fourth 
player holds the King, you only disclose your weakness to him; 
but that is one favorable case to two unfavorable cases. Manifest- 
ly, the play of Queen second hand from Queen one small one is 
unsound. 

SYNOPSIS OF PLAY SECOND HAND (PLAIN SUITS). 

We can now do, for play second hand, what we have already 
done for the lead, viz. , reduce it to system by showing, not as here- 
tofore, what card to play from particular hands, but under what 
conditions such and such cards should be played. This, as in the 
case of the lead, has a double advantage ; it gives simpler rules, and 
it combines with the rules for play the inferences from play. 

ACE, SECOND HAND, 

is played on King, Queen, or Knave, from Ace and small ones; on 
Knave from Ace, Queen, and small ones ; and from Ace four small 
ones, on a small card led, if the game is in a critical state or there is 
reason to believe that the lead is from a singleton. 

KING, SECOND HAND, 

is played on Queen or Knave, from Ace, King, with or without 
small ones, and from King not more than two small ones ; on 
Queen from King, ten, etc. ; on a small card, from Ace, King, with 
or without small ones; from Ace, King, Knave ; from King one 
small one, only when second player has special reason for desiring 
a lead. 

QUEEN, SECOND HAND, 

is played on Knave, from Queen and not more than two small ones, 
and from Queen, ten, and others; on ten, from Queen and one other; 
on a small card, from Ace, King, Queen, with or mthout others; 
from Ace, Queen, ten; from King, Queen, with or without others; 
from Ace, Queen, and three others, or more, only if weak in trumps ; 
from Queen one small card, only when a trump lead is specially 
required. 

KNAVE, SECOND HAND, 

is played from Queen, Knave, and not more than one small one; 
and from Ace, Queen, Knave ; from Knave one small one, only if a 
trump lead is specially required. 



PLAY SECOND HAND. 



29 



TEN, SECOND HAND, 

is played from Knave, ten, and not more than one small one ; from 
Ace, Queen, Knave, ten; and from King, Knave, ten; from ten one 
small one, if a trump lead is specially required. 

NINE, SECOND HAND, 

is played from ten, nine, and not more than one small one; from 
King, Knave, ten, nine. 

LOWEST, SECOND HAND, 

is played in all other cases, unless to signal, when the lowest but 
one is played. 

PLAY SECOND HAND IN TRUMPS. 

The play second hand in trumps differs in several respects from 
the play in plain suits. This partly depends on the circumstance 
that the lead in trumps is somewhat different, as we have seen, 
from the lead in other suits ; partly on the absence of risk from 
ruflang; and partly on the card turned up, and its position with re- 
spect to second player. Then, also, the critical nature of trump 
play has to be considered. When trumps are led, second player 
knows that there is at least sufficient strength, either in the leader's 
hand, or between the leader and his partner (if the latter has sig- 
nalled), to justify the expectation that between them they may get 
out all the trumps held between second and fourth players, and 
bring in a long suit. A defensive, or at any rate a waiting game, 
has therefore generally to be played. 

The principal differences in detail, between trump and plain-suit 
play, second hand, are these : 

From Ace, King, and one or small cards in trumps, it is generally 
better to play a small card second hand, to give partner a chance 
of making first trick. A small card is played for a similar reason 
in trumps, from King, Queen, and more than one small one; if, 
however, you have the ten also, play it. From Ace, King, Queen, 
and a small one. Queen is played in Trumps, as well as in plain 
suits, because second player is so strong that he should play a for- 
ward game. 

From i^.ce. Queen, ten, in trumps, ten is played, instead of Queen 
as in plain suits. This gives partner a chance of making the trick; 



30 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



and should he fail and third hand make it, two tricks are certain on 
the return of the trump lead. 

From Ace, Knave, ten, one or more small ones, the smallest is 
played in plain suits on a small card led, because the first player 
cannot hold both King and Queen. But in trumps he may hold 
both these cards, and it is therefore better to play the ten. 

From an honor and one small card, you should only play the 
honor if it is very important to stop the trump lead. If your part- 
ner has turned up King or Ace, and you hold Queen and a small 
one, you play the small one. 

SECOND HAND SECOND ROUND, 

In the second round of a suit it is nearly always best, if you hold 
the winning card, to play it, unless, of course, you know third hand 
to be very weak in the suit. When your adversaries' trumps are 
exhausted it is sometimes better to pass the second round of a long 
suit, if the third round is assured, and there is a fair chance of the 
suit being established third round. In trumps second round, it is 
often better to keep back the winning card if you have numerical 
strength in trumps and a good plain suit. 

If, in second round, second hand holds second and third best cards, 
he should, of course, play the third best. If he hold third best, and 
have reason to believe his partner holds the best (and leader second 
best) he may often with advantage play the third best, and so save 
his partner's best. If, however, he is long in the suit, he very like- 
ly loses by this, for his partner's best card is probably single, and so 
falls on a trick already won. 

AN EXCEPTIONAL CASE. 

Ace is usually played second hand on King ; but occasionally 
with Ace, Knave, and others, if you are strong in trumps, you may 
pass the King, on the chance of making the Knave. It is, however, 
very seldom good play to do this. 



Chapter III. 



PLAY THIBD HAND, 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

Many players seem to think the only rule necessary for third 
hand is to play the highest card, unless the suit is headed in the 
hand by a sequence, when, of course, they do not carry the rule to 
so absurd a length as to play the highest of the sequence. If to 
this rule they make one exception, in finessing the Queen with Ace, 
Queen, they suppose they know all that need be known about third- 
hand play. 

In reality, however, play third hand requires considerable judg- 
ment, and a thorough knowledge of the leads and of play second 
hand. In two thirds, perhaps, of the cases that arise, it may suffice 
to know that third hand should play his highest, unless, of course, 
he cannot play higher than his partner, or only a card which is the 
next in sequence above his partner's, when he plays his lowest. If 
his suit is headed by a sequence, he plays the lowest of the sequence 
(with the same exception that, if his partner's card is higher, or 
belongs to the same sequence, he plays his lowest, unless he has 
such strength in the suit that he may with advantage take his part- 
ner's trick). But, in other cases, the player third hand has to con- 
sider the lead, the play second hand, and the score. 

Suppose, for instance, your partner has led Queen, and that the 
lead is original, or at any rate that there is no reason to suppose it 
forced. Thus, the lead is presumably from Queen, Knave, ten, 
with probably one small card at least. Then, if you have the Ace 
and one or more others, third in hand, how should you play if sec- 
ond hand does not cover? In this case it is probable that second 
has not the King, and the first idea would be that, since fourth 
player probably holds the King, you should play the Ace. But in 
general this would be wrong. The state of the score might render 



32 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



it advisable to take the trick lest second round should be ruffed. 
But usually it is best to let the trick go to the fourth player. By 
putting on Ace, you sacrifice Ace and Queen for one trick, and 
leave the best card in the adversaries' hands. Apart from ruffing — 
which, be it remembered, always means a trump drawn from the 
adversary — the King will make ; that is, the adversaries will have 
one trick in the suit in any case, and it is far better for you that 
one trick should be in the first than in the second round. Consider 
the effect (1) of putting on the Ace and (2) of passing the Queen, 
apart from ruffing. In case (1) Ace makes first round, King makes 
second round, and another suit is immediately led — as likely as not 
the suit is not led again; in case (2) King makes first round. Ace 
takes the second trick, the suit is probably led a third time by 
holder of Ace, and in that case two more tricks are made in it, or 
trumps are forced from the enemy. 

Again, suppose ten is led and passed by second player, you know 
(see account of the leads in Chapter I., or the synopsis of them on 
p. 18) that the lead is from King, Queen, Knave, ten, or from King, 
Knave, ten, with or without small ones. If, third in hand, you 
hold the Ace, when ten is led, you put it on, leaving your partner 
to finesse (if he holds King, Knave) on the return of the suit. If 
you hold Ace, Knave, you know that the ten is led as a strengthen- 
ing card ; you pass it, and even if the finesse fails, as is probable 
(for if King, Queen were both with second player the Queen would 
be put on), you remain with the tenace. If when ten is led, you 
having nothing above it but the Queen, you pass it: for whether 
it has been led (as is most probable) from King, Knave, ten, etc., 
or is a strengthening card, the play of the Queen would be bad: in 
the former case, obviously ; in the latter, because by playing the 
Queen you give up at once the command of the suit. 

These illustrations suffice to show that the general rule. Third in 
hand play your highest, is as insufficient as we have already seen 
that the general rule is for second play. Second in hand play your 
lowest. We shall, therefore, proceed to consider the play third in 
hand — first on general principles, and then in detail, as we have al- 
ready considered the play of the first and second hands. 

PLAY THIKD HAND (PLAD^ SUITS). 

The general principles which should guide the play third in 



PLAY THIRD HA^^B. 



33 



hand are — First, and chiefly, to help and strengthen jour partner 
as much as possible in his own suit; secondly, to derive all possible 
advantage from any strengthening card he may play in your own 
suit ; and, thirdly, to retain as long as possible such partial command 
as you may have in an opponent's suit. You can generally tell 
[from the lead, the play second hand, and your own hand) whether 
your partner has led from strength or to strengthen you, or from a 
weak suit in which he has no means of knowing your position. 
This will be obvious from what we have already said about inter- 
pretation of the lead and the play second hand. Your play will be 
guided accordingly. 

Let us, then, consider the play third in hand in detail : the infer- 
ences to be drawn from the play of particular cards third in hand 
are too obvious to need special consideration. 

If you hold Ace third in hand, and neither King nor Queen, you 
play it in plain suits, unless King or Queen has been led. The 
only exception to this is when ten has been led and you hold Ace, 
Knave, when it is best to pass the ten. With Ace, King, you put 
on King, as a rule. But with Ace, King, and more than one small 
one, a good hand, and four trumps, you should not put King on 
your partner's Knave, but pass the Knave : fourth in hand is sure 
to take the trick; but when trumps are out you are tolerably sure 
of getting in again, when you make two tricks at least, and proba- 
bly three in the suit. On the other hand, with Ace, King, and 
small ones, but only three trumps, you should not pass the Knave. 
The principle here applied is general. With good strength in 
trumps you may usually finesse with advantage in a strong suit in 
which your partner has led a strengthening card; but when short 
in trumps such a finesse is unadvisable. 

With Ace, Queen, alone or with others, you should finesse the 
Queen, or the lowest card in sequence with the Queen — unless a 
single trick will make or save the game, when, of course, such a 
finesse would be a Whist atrocity. 

With King, Knave, etc., some players finesse the Knave. This 
is only right when you have such strength in the suit as to feel sure 
your partner has led a strengthening card from a short suit. It 
is nearly always wrong to finesse in your partner's suit. The 
finesse from Ace, Queen, etc., is almost the solitary exception to 
this rule. You should, therefore, in general play King, from King, 



34 



HOW TO PLAT WHIST. 



Knave, third hand. When nine is led, and you hold King, Knave, 
and others, you pass the nine, if strong in trumps, and the state of 
the game is not critical (supposing always that second player has 
not covered the nine). Otherwise, you may either finesse the 
Knave, or not, as you may deem best. Fourth player is as likely 
to hold Ace and no other honor as Queen and no other honor; if 
he holds both Ace and Queen, it is indifferent what you play; he 
will, in any case, remain with an honor over you. 

When, third in hand, you hold Queen or Knave and others, and 
a small card has been led which second player does not cover 
with a card higher than your honor, you should in every case play 
the honor. But if ten is led, and not covered by Knave, you 
would not plaj^ the Queen, but pass the ten; for, as already ex- 
plained, you gain nothing by playing the Queen if the lead is from 
King, Knave, ten, while, if the ten is a strengthening card, you lose 
all command of the suit if you cover. If you hold Knave, nine, 
and others, and eight is led, you may finesse the nine or pass the 
eight; eight can hardly be played as a strengthening card, nor from j 
a three-card suit, containing both Ace, King, or King Queen, for I 
from either of these combinations the proper lead is the King. If 
the eight is the lowest of a four-card suit, the suit can be no other 
than Ace, Queen, ten, eight. If the lead is from a three-card suit, 
the eight being the lowest, the other cards may be Ace Queen, Ace 
ten, King ten, or Queen ten. The ten can therefore only be to 
your left in the single case of the lead being from Ace, Queen, 
eight — which is an unlikely lead anyhow, though, of course, possi- 
ble, since leader may hold, besides, four trumps, and two weak 
three-card suits. You are, therefore, in all probability, quite safe 
in finessing the nine or passing the eight, according as you may 
wish the lead to lie (supposing the trick to fall to the eight or 
nine). 

When, third in hand, your best card is small, you play it, of 
course, if it is higher than the card played on your right, or higher 
than and not in sequence with the card led. If you cannot cover, 
and both the cards already played are small, remember that your 
card tells both your partner and your adversaries of extreme weak- 
ness, both in individual cards and numerically. In such cases the 
question may arise sometimes whether it may be better to deceive 
the enemy or not by playing a false card. For instance, if your , 



PLAY THIRD HAND. 



35 



partner leads four, second hand plays six, and you hold three and # 
five ; if you play the five, it will be thought that you do not hold 
any other card in the suit. Cases may arise where it may be more 
important to cause the adversaries to suppose this erroneously than 
to leave them and your partner in doubt by playing the lower card. 
It is worth your while in every such case to consider which is like- 
ly to be the more advantageous course. 

The play of third in hand, second round of a suit, depends gen- 
erally on the fall of the cards. As a rule, you know pretty well 
how the cards lie at this round, whether the original lead were your 
partner's or your own. In the former case you have the indications 
from the original lead as already explained, those from the play 
second and fourth in hand, those from the renewed lead, and play 
second in hand second round, besides your own original hand. In 
the latter, as the suit is presumably your longest, you have rather 
more information in your own hand than in the other case, and 
rather less from the play; but if you have been watchful you have 
usually learned a good deal. Thus, suppose, having King and 
three other clubs (10, 4, 3), you lead the 3, and the cards fall thus, 
A Y B Z 

C3 C8 CQ C6 
you know that, apart from signalling for trumps, B (your partner) 
must hold the two and five, Y has nothing below the eight, Z noth- 
ing below the six. Kow, suppose that on the return of the suit 
your partner leads the two; then, as this is not the highest left in 
his hand, you know that besides the five he has one other, which is 
not the Ace, for if he had had the Ace he would have led it. Kor 
can it be the Knave, for if he had had Queen Knave, he would have 
played the lower of the sequence. You hold King and ten your- 
self, therefore his remaining card must be either the seven or the 
•nine. You know this before Z has played to second round. You 
know also that Z has not the Ace, or he would not have allowed the 
Queen to take the first trick. Suppose, now, Z plays the nine. 
Then the only card whose position remains doubtful is the Knave; 
it may be to your right or to your left. But you can play with as 
much confidence as if you knew where it was. For if it lies to 
your left along with the Ace, which certainly lies there, you lose 
nothing by finessing the ten ; and if it lies to your right you gain a 
atrick — apart from rufiing : you therefore play the ten. 



36 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



Take again the following case — 

Your hand being Q, Kn, 5, 2 of Hearts (trumps), the first round 
is — 

A Y B Z 

H2 H^r HK H6 

Second round, to second in hand, 
is, let us say— H 8 H 7 j 

You know certainly that either four, or three, and ten lie with Y, I 
and no more. For three and four are certainly not both with B, 
or he would have returned his lowest. Neither four nor three lies 
with Z; therefore, one of these cards lies with B, who has, there- 
fore, led the best of two. You can thus place every card, assuming, 
always that all are playing according to the customary rules for 
good play. B has either the three or four left. Y has ten, and 
either four or three. Z has the Ace, and is holding it back for 
some purpose connected with the strategy of his hand. You there- 
fore play Knave, third in hand; whereas, had you not attended to j 
the fall of the cards, you might have thought it a fair finesse — only I 
ten and Ace being against you, and the Ace probably in fourth ! 
hand — to pass the eight, so as to make sure of taking the last round | 
in trumps. As it is, you know that, after your Knave has taken 
the second round, your third lead of the five will draw both the 
Ace and ten, leaving you with the long trump. 

PLAY THLRD HAND (tRUMPS). \ 

You can safely finesse in trumps when strong in them, sometimes 
even against two cards. Never play a needlessly high card third in 
hand. If you can win the trick or force out the King card with a 
ten or a nine, it is a Whist offence of the first magnitude to play 
the Knave. s 



II 



Chapter IV. 



PLAY FOURTH HAND. 

The fourth player's duty is usually but to win the trick if he cair, 
and as cheaply as he can. The exceptions usually belong to the 
cases in which the general conduct .of the hand involves considera- 
tions overriding such rules of detail as we are for the present con- 
sidering. Thus, the player fourth in hand may be unable to win a 
trick except by ruffing, and ruffing may mean giving up all chance 
of commanding the run of trumps and bringing in a long suit : in 
that case, he would pass the trick. Or it may happen that the card 
of the suit with which he could alone take the trick would obviously 
be likely to serve as a re-entering card, after trumps were exhausted : 
in such a case, if the chances were clearly in favor of that power of 
re-entry being obtainable in no other way, fourth hand should pass 
the trick. The consideration of such points belongs to Whist strat- 
egy rather than to Whist principles. We may simply note here that 
in all such cases a good general rule to bear in mind is, that a certain 
trick ought not to be passed, unless there is a great probability of 
making two by so doing. Always remember, however, that if the 
game can only be saved by making the two, the trick should be 
passed; while, of course, if one trick saves or makes the game, it 
should be made. 

A case often arises (it is often spoken of as if fourth hand alone 
were concerned, but it applies to second hand equally) where it is 
questionable whether a trick should be passed or taken. King is 
led in a suit of which you hold Ace, Knave, and others. Here 
many pass the trick, because, if the suit is continued, as it usually is, 
they hold the tenace, and, apart from ruffing, make two tricks in- 
stead of one in the suit. Holding up the Ace second hand in such 
cases, though not generally good, is occasionally advisable. But it 
is seldom safe to pass the trick when you hold Ace, Knave, and an- 



88 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



other, fourth in hand. There is a considerable chance that either 
your partner or your right-hand adversary may have held originally 
but one of the suit; and, if so, either would trump. Your partner 
vrould trump, if he could, because he would believe the Ace to be 
with third hand. Third hand would, of course, trump if he could, | 
a small card having been led. Where you hold up the Ace second 
hand you have a much better chance, for you run no risk of being 
trumped by your partner. Clay adds to these considerations, that 
you give up, for one round at least, the advantage of getting the 
lead ; that, however, may be an advantage, or the reverse, according 
to the nature of your hand. He adds : The leader, either from sus- 
pecting your tenace, or because he has another strong suit to show 
his partner, changes his lead ; and when it is next led it is probably 
by your right-hand adversary, who leads through your tenace, in- 
stead of to it." These considerations are less important, however, 
than the others; for usually no tenace would be suspected, covering 
with Ace being the usual custom, and it seldom happens that a 
player finds it well to show a second suit to his partner. The fall 
of the cards in the first suit may, of course, lead him to do so ; but 
ordinarily he will keep to one suit. The case is rather different 
when his partner has already shown a suit. For then, the possibil- 
ity of a held-up tenace (however slight), may lead him to prefer re- 
turning his partner's suit — who can afterwards lead the Ace if he 
has it, and then up to the Queen. 

That playing a small card in such a case gives your partner a 
wrong idea of the contents of your hand is a valid argument against 
passing the trick, unless the indications are such that you are justi- 
fied in attaching less importance to informing him than to strength- 
ening your own position. If you are strong in trumps, there is a 
further reason for disregarding this point. For, should the leader 
be led to suspect that a tenace is held up, he will be apt to lead 
trumps, which can hardly fail to suit your hand. 

Cases of two kinds have specially to be noticed in playing fourth 
in hand : first, those in which it is necessary to take a trick already 
won by partner; secondly, those in which it is necessary to pass a 
trick won by the adversaries. I am not going to consider all cases 
of the kind, for many depend on the previous fall of cards, and the 
strategy of the hand as a whole. But two simple general cases of 
either sort must be considered here. 



PLAY FOURTH HAND. 



39 



First, when late in the game you have the King card and a small 
one, and the play shows that, though led by your left-hand adversary, 
the suit is your partner's, the remaining cards in your hands being all 
losing ones : If in this case you let your partner's card win, you are 
obliged to win the next trick in the suit and lead a losing card. But 
if you take the trick with the King card and lead the small one, you 
are leading through strength up to weakness, and your partner may 
finesse deeply, and perhaps make all the tricks in the suit. Usually 
the case occurs in the first round of the suit; but it may also happen 
in the second. Thus, suppose a suit originally led by your partner 
from Knave, nine, and three small ones : you, holding King, Queen, 
and one small one, play the Queen, and fourth in hand takes the 
trick with Ace. Later on (trumps being out) the latter — your ad- 
versary on the left — leads a small one (having held originally Ace, 
ten, eight, and a small one) ; your partner plays the seven, third hand 
a loose card : if you play the small one, and your partner leads the suit 
again, your King makes, but you have to lead a losing card, and the 
rest of the tricks probably go to the adversaries; but if you take the 
trick with your King and lead the small one, your partner makes 
three more tricks in the suit. 

The second case is one in which you must let the adversaries take 
the trick. When you hold the best, fourth best, and a small card of 
a suit, and a second best is led by your left-hand adversary, who 
also holds the third and fifth best, you must pass the trick. If 
you win it you must lead through his tenace and lose the other two 
tricks ; if you pass it, he must lead up to your tenace, and you win 
the other two tricks. 

When, fourth in hand, you have won a trick very easily, it is often 
good to return your enemy's suit ; for the original leader must then 
play as if third in hand, hoping for no support from his partner. 
In trumps this is not safe, however. Even if third hand is really as 
weak as he seems, you play the enemy's game by continuing the 
suit. But in trumps it is always possible that a winning card may 
be kept back to support more effectively, later, a strong game of the 
enemy's. 



Chapter V. 

BETURNING PARTNERS LEAD. 

There is scarcely any more obnoxious rule at Whist than that 
which many good players of their own hands insist upon, that part- 
ner's lead should almost always be at once returned. The player 
1 who always returns your lead at once is more annoying even than j 
\ the one who, when the right time has come for returning it, insists i 
. on keeping to his own suit. I would even take exception to Cav- i 
endish's rule that ''with only moderately strong suits, which you 
open to a disadvantage, you do better to return your partner's orig- 
inal suit, or to lead up to the weak suit of your right-hand adversa- 
ry, or through the strong suit of your left-hand adversary," than to | 
open your best suit — unless by the words, ''which you open to a | 
disadvantage," he means to qualify the expression, "moderately j 
strong suits," and not (as it seems) to make a statement respecting ' 
such suits. It is clear that, with only weak three- card suits outside 
trumps, you do better to return your partner's suit than to lead one 
of your ow^n. On the other hand, with a strong three-card suit, 
headed by a sequence, you do better to lead your own suit. With a 
four-card suit headed by anything below a Queen, you might return 
him his suit ; but with such a suit as Queen, ten, eight, three, you 
ought, in my opinion, to show your own suit before returning his — 
especially if you have good cards in your short suits, so as to have a 
good chance of an opportunity to lead again to him. This is always 
to be considered ; for if you have only a moderately good long suit, 
and weak cards in the other suits, you may have but one chance of 
returning his lead, while it may be of great importance that he 
should be led to, and not have to lead himself. Besides, he may 
have a strong suit, which may be established if he gets a return lead, 
and he may then lead trumps, and make a great game ; whereas, if 
you lead your own moderately strong suit, you almost certainly 
throw the play into the adversaries' hands. 



RETURNmG partner's LEAD. 



41 



There are some cases, however, where, even when you have a 
strong suit, you should at once return your partner's lead. Thus, if 
after taking the trick you remain with the leading card in his suit 
(which the play shows to be strong), you should play out that card in 
order to clear his suit. Again, if you held originally only two in his 
suit, and are weak in trumps, you should return his lead, so that, if 
he can, he may lead the suit a third time for you to trump it ; for in 
this way you help him to clear his suit, while using a trump which 
otherwise would probably fall uselessly. 

When the adversary to your left has shown great weakness in your 
partner's suit, as by failing to head a nine, ten, or Knave of your own 
at the first round, it is generally unsafe to return the lead ; for the 
strength must lie between your partner and the player to your right, 
so that you are probably leading up to strength. Your partner will, 
indeed, lead under not very favorable conditions, as you also have 
shown weakness, so that the player to your right will stand to your 
partner (leading) much as fourth player usually stands to third. But 
he will not be quite so badly off as when you lead to him ; for the 
card first played by you third in hand may be the lowest of a sequence, 
for aught the player to your right can generally know. 

The most important rule, in returning partner's lead, and one of 
the most important general rules at Whist, is, Beturn the JiigJiest of 
two remaining cards, the lowest of th ree or more. The only exceptions 
to this rule are that (1) with the winning card and two others (left 
after first round), you lead the winning card ; (2) with second best 
and a small one you lead the small one ; and (3) with second and 
third best and another (after first round), you lead the second best, 
not the small one. With these exceptions (and an occasion or two, 
perhaps, where your partner is utterly weak, and you wish to de- 
ceive the enemy), this rule is imperative, and extends throughout the 
whole range of the suit. Thus, with 4, B, left after first round, the 
return of the 3 would be a Whist blander, as would be the play of 
the 4, if, besides the 4 and 3, you hold the 2 also. In these cases no 
strength is gained or lost by the lead of 4 or 3. Yet the rule had its 
origin in considerations of play. For with such cards as Queen and 
a small one, or Knave and a small one (after first round), the lead 
of Queen or Knave is manifestly good policy; for thereby you 
strengthen your partner : you are numerically weak in the suit, and 
most probably lose nothing yourself; whereas with Queen and two 

4 



42 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



small ones, or Knave and two small ones (after first round), you do 
well to keep back the Queen or Knave, being numerically strong, 
and having a fair chance of not only making the honor, but remain- 
ing with the best card in the suit after three rounds. 

In trumps, this rule is even more important than in plain suits. 
The whole strategy of the game may be ruined by your telling your 
partner (as you do in returning his lead wrongly) that you held orig- 
inally only three trumps when you really held four, or that you held 
four when in reality you only held three. 

Any one who neglects this general rule, of which, of course, no 
Whist player is ignorant, must be regarded as a bad player. Scarce- 
ly inferior is the player who, when this signal is given him, fails to 
notice it, or who overlooks it when it occurs in the play of his ad- 
versaries. Omitting to notice the signal for trumps either in par^ 
ner's or adversaries' play is in comparison a very small offence. 



Chapter VI. 



GENIS^AL CONDUCT OF THE GAME. 

We have considered the various leads, both from strength and 
from weakness, and also so much of the sequent play of the suit 
led as serves to indicate the progress of the suit towards being es- 
tablished. This, of course, is the usual object of the play in each 
suit, whether the suit has first been led from strength or from weak- 
ness. Only, in one case the original leader and his partner seek to 
establish the suit, while in the other the suit may be (generally 
turns out to be) the adversaries', and they seek to establish it. We 
have now to consider the conduct of the game while the various 
plain suits are contesting, and afterwards, when, as the game pro 
ceeds, these suits, whether established or not, are worked by either 
side. We assume for the moment that the hands are so distributed 
that trumps are not led out very early on either side. 

A suit is established when the holder of the strength in the suit 
has the best card or cards, with the certainty of drawing those in- 
tervening between it or them and lower ones. For instance, if in 
the first two rounds eight hearts have fallen, including the Ace, 
Queen, Knave, and nine, and I hold King, eight, and two, I know 
Ithat two cards remain with the enemy; and if I know nothing 
more, my Hearts are not established, because, if I lead King, I am 
QOt sure that the ten will fall ; for one of the adversaries may hold 
both ten and a small one, and, playing the latter to my King, will 
retain the command. But, if the first two rounds have shown that 
;he ten is held single by one of the adversaries, I know it must fall 
o my King. I know this even if, besides the ten, two other cards, 
me of them the three, remain with the adversaries. My suit is 
herefore established, though I have but two cards left in it. The 
iing will draw the ten and the three; the eight and two will win 
he last tricks in the suit. 



44 



HOW TO PLAY AYHIST. 



The contest in plain suits manifestly turns on the acquisition of 
the command, in this Avay. So long as the enemy retains the com- 
mand of my suit, in such sort that one of the tricks in the suit will 
go to them, any attempt to bring in the suit is of little avail. Sup- 
pose I get out all the trumps, and, having then the lead, play a 
small card of my own suit. The enem}^ take the trick, and bring 
in their suit. Nay, even if my partner has the commanding card 
of my suit — alone — my purpose is foiled; for he takes the trick, 
and cannot lead me my suit. 

Thus we see that, in general, the final attempt to bring in a suit 
must not be made until the adversaries have been deprived of the 
command, or partner, if he has an obstructive command, has given 
it up. And, viewing the matter from all sides — as holder of a 
strong suit, as adversary of such holder, and as his partner — we 
deduce the rules : 

1. Unless you have good cards of re-entry, as King-cards in the 
adversaries' suits, or good prospect of holding long trumps, do not 
try to bring in a suit of which you have not perfect command. 

2. Keep the command of an adversary's suit. 

3. Get rid of the command of a partner's suit. 

When we consider the conduct of the hand, as a whole, we recog- 
nize the object of the various leads and returns and continuations of 
the opened suit ; and we see how much those partners usually gain 
w^ho play a combined game, and how much is lost, in the long run, 
by those who seek only to play their own hand. 

Thus, between my partner's hand and mine there is probably one 
suit, at least, which may be established and brought in, with proper 
care, in the play of our hands. That one of us who has the first 
lead has usually no choice but to show his long suit, whether it is 
weak or not. The other, when his time to lead arrives, must decide f 
w^hether he will show his own suit, or adopt his partner's. By 
showing his own he usually does what the first leader had not 
done — he indicates a certain degree of strength. By returning his 
partner's, he says: ''I have no suit strong enough to justify me in 
showing it ; probably the adversaries have more strength in it than 
you and I have ; let us combine to establish and bring in your suit 
if we can." The player who returns his partner's suit in this way, 
before showing his own, should bear this in mind; for his part- 
ner's play will undoubtedly be guided by this supposed evidence of 
weakness in other suits. 



GENERAL CONDUCT OF THE GAME. 



45 



It is for this reason, also, that the first discard is so carefully to 
be attended to. It helps to show your partner where your strength 
lies, by indicating where you are weakest — in the case we are deal- 
ing with at present (that strength in trumps has not been declared 
on either side), and also if strength has been declared in your favor. 
If your partner has shown his strong suit, and one of the enemies 
his, your declaration of your weakest suit may not necessarily show 
your partner in what suit you are strong; for your weakest suit 
may be his, or that of the adversary who has already declared his 
strength; your longest suit (your strength if you have a strong suit) 
may lie either in the third plain suit, or in trumps. But he learns, 
at any rate, that you are weak in one suit, and is saved from the 
bad effects which would have arisen had he looked for strength 
from you in that suit. 

Every indication on the part of the enemy must be carefully 
watched, to show where strength lies, and where weakness. 

In the early progress of the play indications may be afforded 
either on the one hand of sufficient strength in trumps, with a 
strong suit between you and your partner, to enable you at once to 
take a commanding position, or, on the other hand, of such broken 
forces that the best chance you have is to pick up whatever tricks 
may come in your way, without any thought of establishing a suit, 
and scarcely a hope of preventing the adversaries from doing so. 
Of the former case we do not speak now, because it will be consid- 
ered fully in our chapter on Leading Trumps. In the latter case, 
play carefully to the score, finessing where it seems the only way 
to save the game, but refraining from even the most promising 
finesse where a single trick saves the game. Ruff at every oppor- 
tunity if so weak in trumps that you cannot hope to disarm the 
enemy; but if you have three or four small trumps, and your part- 
ner early shows extreme weakness in trumps, you sometimes do 
well to keep your trumps to draw two for one, when you get the 
chance. 

In ordinary cases, play a steady game, neither too boldly aiming 
at a great game with moderate force, nor too anxiously playing to 
save the game, when, with care, you may maintain an equal fight. 

It is to gain full command of your own suit that you play the 
lowest of a long head-sequence, so that if partner has the winning 
card he may play it. The same principle holds as the suit is con- 



46 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



tinued, and applies to shorter sequences. Thus, suppose that after 
at least one round of a suit you hold second and third best and one 
or more small ones, your partner having only two, one of which 
may be the best; if you play the second best, you draw the best 
from the enemy; but if your partner holds the best, he would not 
put it on your second best. Even if he knows you to hold the 
third best, he would infer from your playing the highest that you 
wished him to leave the trick to you. In fact, if he knew you to 
hold both second and third best, he would be apt to regard the lead 
of second best under the circumstances as involving a request to 
pass the trick. But the third round falling to him, you cannot have 
your suit returned to you. Therefore, in such a case, you should 
play the third best, which your partner will take, and, returning 
the small one, leave you free to continue the suit. When trumps 
are out, and your suit otherwise established (that is your partner's 
King-card only against you), neglect of this precaution is ruinous. 
In like manner you must constantly be on the watch to get rid of a 
winning card in your partner's suit which would be apt to obstruct 
it. Games XXII. and XXXII. are good illustrations of this point : 
if attention had not been paid to this rule, the game would not 
have been won. 

Similar considerations lead to what is called undeo'-play, which is 
usually adopted in order to gain command of a suit. For instance, 
if after one round of a suit has been played, you know that the 
second best card of the suit is held by your adversary on the left, 
while you hold best and fourth best, then, when trumps are out, or 
if the suit be trumps, you do well to lead a small card of the suit. 
Second hand will hold up the second best, believing the King-card 
to be on his left, and your partner, if he has it, will win with the 
third best. You then have the command, probably the full com- 
mand, of the suit. 

Another form of under-play, and one which is of such frequent 
occurrence as to require special notice, is the holding up of the 
winning card at the second round of a suit. In plain suits this is 
not usually advisable, unless either trumps are out or there is a 
good prospect of quickly getting them out. But in trumps or in 
plain suits after trumps are out, it is often well to let the second trick 
pass, that with the third trick you may get in. Not only is it much 
more important, as a rule, to win the third than the second round 



GENERAL CONDUCT OF THE GAME. 



47 



of a suit, but by holding up the winning card you may give your 
partner a chance of making the third best. Thus, say that in the 
first round of your strong suit. Hearts, there have fallen, four (your 
lead), five. Queen, Ace, and you remain with King, seven, six, two. 
The suit is changed, and presently trumps are exhausted. Later your 
right-hand adversary leads three of Hearts, through your strength. 
If you now play the King, the third round will most probably 
go to the enemy; for your partner certainly has not the Knave. 
But if you play the two, there is a chance that jou may find third 
hand weak, and that your partner may take with the ten. If this 
does not happen, and third hand wins, whether with ten or Knave, 
the probability is that in the third round, won by your King, the 
other cards above your seven will fall, in which case you make two 
more tricks in the suit. 

So it is often well, when you hold the best, third best, and small 
cards of your suit after one round has been played, to play the 
third best on return of the suit by your partner — even with the 
certain knowledge that second best lies to your left. When next 
the suit is led, your King-card is likely to draw the remaining cards, 
when your small ones win; whereas, if you take the trick with 
your best, the third round falls to your left-hand adversary, and 
you have no use for your small cards. 

Cavendish gives another case. Ten tricks have been played, and 
each player remains with three cards of the same suit, as yet not 
opened (one card discarded somewhere). Suppose now second 
player puts on the Queen, and you, as third player, hold the Ace. 
It is practically certain that second player holds King also. If, then, 
you win with the Ace, you have to lead up to King guarded, and 
probably both tricks will be against you. But if you play a small 
card the second player wins, and has to lead from King guarded. 
He leads the small one; you pass it, and your partner may make, 
your Aee winning the last trick. In one case the chances are that 
you lose two tricks, and win but one ; in the other they favor your 
winning two and losing one only. In any case the Ace makes. 

Again, suppose you hold the long trump, and either a long suit 
or a suit which is nearly established, but not quite, the King-card 
of the suit being in your hands. If the adversaries lead this suit, 
you do well to let them take a trick or two in it till it is established; 
then, if they lead it again, you come in, and your small cards in the 



48 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



suit win. If they turn to another suit, your long trump brings you 
in, the winning card of the long suit is led, and the remaining cards 
falling, your small cards in the suit win. 



We have now to consider the important points — leading trumps 
and the play of trumps generally. It is here that science is chiefly 
shown in Whist, as we see from the saying of Cavendish, that his 
invention of the signal took away half the advantage he had de- 
rived from his scientific knowledge of the game. Yet we may 
doubt whether, after all, good players have not gained as much 
from the rash use which half -taught players make of the signal, as 
they have lost from the invention of a system by which the atten- 
tive player learns at once when his partner urgently wants trumps 
led. 



Chapter YII. 



HOW TO PLAY TRUMP8. 

The critical moment in almost every hand of Whist is that when 
one or the other side enters on the trump lead. This may occur ear- 
ly : perhaps at the very beginning, when one side or the other has a 
decided superiority in trumps ; or in the middle of the game, when 
one side or the other, having established a suit, and being well pro- 
tected in their adversaries' suits, sees that their trump strength, 
reinforced by their strength in plain suits, gives promise of wresting 
the command of the hand from the other side; or the strength in 
trumps and plain suits may be so disposed that neither side cares 
to lead trumps till towards the end of the hand ; or both sides may 
find advantage in reserving trumps for ruffing ; or two partners 
may try to establish a cross-ruff, throwing the command of trumps, 
if they succeed, into their opponents' hands, but safely enough,^ 
because more tricks are usually gained by the cross-ruff than the op- I 
ponents can afterwards make out of their suits, cut up by the ruffing 
game; and, lastly, a trump lead may be purely defensive, made sim- 
ply to prevent ruffing, and especially a cross-ruff by the enemy. 
' The skill of a Whist-player is shown more, perhaps, by his apti- 
tude in selecting the proper moment when trumps should be led, or 
the enemy's strength in trumps reduced by forcing, or their lead of 
trumps delayed by properly placing the lead, than by any other 
parts of Whist strategy. And I would at the outset carefull}^ cau- 
tion the learner against falling into the habit of regarding the use of 
trumps to be so pre-eminently that indicated by the book authori- 
ties that all other uses should be considered relatively unimportant. 
It may be true that the chief use of trumps is to extract the enemies' 
trumps so as to bring in a long suit ; but this use, though more im- 
portant than any other considered separately, is not more important | 
than all the others put together, as many book-players seem to 
imagine. 



50 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



It should be remembered, indeed, that in the majority of hands no 
long suit is brought in, the ending depending simply on the correct 
play or skilful finesse of the cards remaining in hand, which may 
be the fragments of suits never very long or strong, and broken up 
through discards enforced by the necessity of protecting other suits. 
To adopt as rules of play a system depending on what happens 
often enough indeed, but still only in a minority of all the games 
/ played, is unsafe ; yet many follow the rules for trying to bring in a 
long suit as if this were the common end of every hand. 

Let it be remembered that, though leading originally from the long- 
est suit, discarding from the shortest (if trumps not declared against 
you), and other such rules, are good enough in the early stages of the 
play of a hand (because they bring the partilers into alliance, so to 
speak), they must not be held to sanction the general principle of play- 
ing to bring in a long suit. This is in reality playing a forward game, 
and a great number of hands require backward, or defensive play, 
while the majority of hands do not justifj^ forward play. You show 
your long suit and your partner shows his, or you learn his from the 
play of the enemy or from the discards, and you presently get an ink- 
ling as to the strength of the several suits in the different hands. But 
you must not run away with the idea that so soon as j^ou know this 
the time has come to scheme for the bringing in of a long suit which 
you or your partner may possess. On the contrary, it is as likely 
that by this time you will have found that the measures good for 
bringing in your suit are as good for bringing in a suit of the ene- 
mies, and that the enemies' suit and not yours is the one which 
would most probably be brought in. And it is more likely than 
not that either your chance is thus unfavorable, or, though not bad 
in itself, it is yet not good enough to justify any attempt at a for- 
ward game. 

At such a stage in the game, if you find reason to think that you 
and your partner between you can hold your own fairly against the 
enemy in trumps, and there is no chance of establishing a cross-ruff, 
it may be well to follow the mle not to force partner if weak in 
trumps. But if it has become clear that your partner as well as 
yourself is weak in trumps, you may fairly reason that, since it is 
the enemies' game to prevent your trumps and your partner's from 
being used in ruffing, it can hardly be bad polic}^ to force your part- 
ner. For^ though the chief object of leading trumps is undoubtedly 



HOW TO PLAT TRUMPS. 



51 



to draw out trumps and bring in a long suit, there is another very 
important object, viz., to draw out trumps lest they be used in ruff- 
ing. After all, you can do very little harm, even if your partner's 
strength is such that he prefers to pass the trick. He can discard 
(nearly always useful) if he prefers that course; but if, like your- 
self, he is weak, he can make a trick with a trump which would 
otherwise have simply fallen to the enemy. He may, perhaps, be 
found also with the King-card and another of one of the adversaries' 
suits, in which you may be short, and may play that suit (King-card 
first, of course), giving you the chance of forcing him again. If 
you can make two or three tricks thus with your weak trumps, you 
may be content to give up any attempt to face the enemy in trumps 
— especially as, when they do get in, they will hardly be able to 
avoid letting some of their trumps fall in. pairs, to none from you 
and your partner. 

But suppose that, numerically, you and your partner have slightly 
the advantage over your opponents in trumps — that one of you has 
four, the other three, the opponents each having three. 

Trumps lying thus, with, perhaps, the best honors with the 
enemy, every round in trumps which you or your partner may take 
out, if there has been no ruflSng, increases your relative strength in 
trumps, and the third leaves one of you with the long trump. But 
even if you knew from the beginning exactly how the strength in 
trumps lay, it by no means follows that your relative strength in the 
hand would be increased by a process thus leaving you with the 
command in trumps. On the contrary, if neither you nor your 
partner has a suit which you can establish, while the enemy, well 
protected in your suits, have — either of them — a long suit, of which 
between them they can get the entire command, your long trump, 
though it must make, will profit you little. It will be forced out, 
and a winning card in one of your suits (if you have two long suits) 
will bring the enemy in again, when their long suit will come in dis- 
astrously for you. 

In such a case it is idle to attempt a forward game merely be- 
cause you perhaps find after a few rounds that you have numerical 
superiority in trumps. You may play, if you see a fit opening, the 
same sort of game as if you were both weak in trumps — especially if 
each of the adversaries shows a long suit. Your long trump cannot 
do more than make one trick in this case ; it cannot bring in a long 



52 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



suit. You may then, without fear of loss, either ruff from a suit of 
four trumps when you get the chance, or force your partner, though 
holding three, and knowing or suspecting that he holds four. 
Should you succeed in establishing a cross-ruff, you gain by this 
policy, and even if you fail you lose nothing. Holding on to the 
hard-and-fast rule. Pass a doubtful card if numerically strong in 
trumps, is unwise in such a case as this — which is of frequent oc- 
currence, be it noticed. Often enough the only chance of saving 
the game lies in ruffing freely while you can. The enemy — if they 
know what is good for them — will stop that game fast enough when 
they get the chance, showing clearly that it is your best policy, de- 
spite the book - rule so often quoted. Your chance comes while 
they are waiting till one or other has established his suit. This 
they will only do so long as your all-round weakness has not been 
disclosed; you must seize the opportunity, and make your tricks 
while you can. 

Suppose, for instance, A holds Knave and three small Spades (the 
trump card being the Ace of Spades, Z the dealer). King and three 
small Hearts, three small Clubs, and two small Diamonds; while B 
holds Queen and three small Spades, Knave and a small Heart, two ^ 
small Clubs, and four small Diamonds. A leads a small Heart, 
which Stakes with the Queen, leading Ace of Clubs and following 
with a small Club. His partner, winning this trick with the King, 
leads, let us say, Diamond three, which his partner takes with the 
Queen, returning the Ace, to which X drops a seven, showing that 
he had led from four only. Suppose now that Z continues with a 
small Diamond. Shall A, holding four small trumps, refrain from 
trumping? It is clear that X Z are protected in Hearts, and each 
had originally a five-card suit. B has not signalled, and neither of i 
the enemy has led trumps. The chances are, then, that trumps are 
pretty equally divided ; but, with the Ace in Z's hand, the odds are 
highly in favor of X Z holding the commanding cards. Under 
these circumstances the best policy seems to be not to try to fight 
against two strong suits with one long trump, and that not certain, 
but to trump the doubtful Diamond led by Z. This is probably 
giving up all chance of getting the command in trumps; but it is 
taking the best chance of what seems the best hope— a cross-ruff. 
After taking the trick thus by ruffing, A should lead a small Club, 
giving up his own suit, of which he knows that the enemy holds the 



HOW TO PLAY TEUMPS. 



53 



King-card (so that, getting in, they would probably lead trumps). 
This B ruffs, and leads a Diamond, which A would rutf, unless Z at 
once stopped the cross-ruff by putting on his trump Ace, which he 
would not be apt to do over his partner's suit. The remaining 
tricks would probably go to X Z, but three having been made by 
A B, the game— the score being supposed at love all" — would be 
saved ; whereas, if A had refrained from ruffing and then forcing 
B, it must have been lost. 

I have been careful to consider first the cases in which a back- 
ward game should be played with regard to trumps and the book- 
rule about passing doubtful cards neglected, because so many games 
are lost through a rigid adherence to a rule which is often misun- 
derstood. As a matter of fact, the rule is not properly stated. 
Strength in trumps is not a sufficient reason for refraining from ruff- 
ing, if such weakness in plain suits has been shown as to suggest a 
backward game. The rule should rather run. So long as there is 
nothing to show that between trumps and plain suits you and your 
partner can hold your own against the adversaries, refrain from ruff- 
ing a doubtful card from a four-card trump suit; * and, equally, un- 
der the same conditions, refrain from forcing your partner if, being 
yourself weak in trumps, you have reason to think he may be fairly 
strong. 

But, turning now to cases where there is no special reason to play 
either a backward or a forward game, we see the reason in these — 
which include the majority of cases — for the book-rule. In every 
Whist hand in 'which the strength is fairly divided there may be 
said to be on the average sixteen tricks in the four suits, of which 
only thirteen can possibly be taken ; and thus, in every fairly 
matched Whist hand, there are two or three tricks which one or 
other side will make or lose, according to the skill or good-fortune 
with which the hand is played. Of course, in the play of each suit 
there is room for skill and good-fortune to tell in the finesse and so 
forth; but we are considering, just now, the total number of tricks 
to be made, whether by finesse or otherwise, in the several suits, if 
each could "tell " to the last card in it. Now, as a matter of fact, 
this, as a rule, is only the case with trumps, though it may happen 



* If yon have five trumps, ruff and (generally) wait ; if you have six, ruff and 
lead trumps. 




54 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



with any established suit after trumps are exhausted. In trumps 
there may be more than the natural number of tricks, because 
trumps may take tricks singly. 

But a time comes in every well-matched hand of Whist when the 
question which side will make the most of its long plain suits (by 
which is to be understood every suit of more than three) depends on 
the manipulation of trumps and forcing cards. All may then turn 
on the possession of a trump more or less, on one side or the other, 
forcing a hand which holds more than the average number of 
trumps thus very often means the gain or sacrifice of one trick (ac- 
cording as it is your partner or the adversary who is forced) for two 
or three tricks. This is so commonly the case in well-matched 
hands, or hands which have become well-matched so far as what 
remains of them is concerned, that we get almost as standing rules 
in such cases, Eefrain from forcing your partner if you are weak 
in trumps and he probably strong; Pass a doubtful card if you hold 
more than the average number yourself ; and, Force the adverse 
strong trump hand. 

But these rules do not apply to very weak hands, even though 
there is numerical length in trumps; nor, on the other hand, do 
jthey apply to very strong hands, which can often afford to ruff and 
wait, or even to ruff and lead trumps. 

The determination of the proper time for leading trumps in the 
case of fairly -matched h^nds not justifying either a signal or an 
early lead of trumps, still remains among the most difficult points of 
Whist strategy. It ma}^ generally be taken for granted that a late 
lead of trumps, unless obviously forced, is to be respected by partner 
as much as an early lead, though not quite so scrupulously as the 
signal. Such a lead means that from the observed fall of the cards 
in the different suits, the trump leader sees a good prospect of 
bringing in one or other of the long suits which he or his partner 
possesses and has by this time probably established. 

Again, it is to be noticed that in leading trumps late, backward 
play in that suit is usually advisable. For though forward play 
may secure the drawing of more rounds, it risks throwing the com- 
mand in trumps into the adversaries' hand — who, in the case we are 
considering (of hands originally well matched) may need only this 
advantage to gain all the good from your lead of trumps which you 
had hoped to secure for yourself and your partner. Thus, we see 



HOW TO PLAY TRUMPS. 



55 



the reason of the difference already indicated between the various^ 
leads in trumps and in plain suits. The leads in plain suits aim as 
much at making the good cards held in the suit as at finally estab- 
lishing it; the leads in trumps aim chiefly at winning the closing 
rounds Id trumps, or remaining at least with a long trump or a win- 
ning card in the enemy's sv\t, to bring in an established suit. For 
similar reasons, you may finesse more deeply in trumps than in 
plain suits ; but not in the first round to your partner's lead. 

Great judgment, then, is required, where hands are well matched, 
in decidiDg whether, or when, to lead trui^ips, and in managing 
trumps after they are led. 

It is hardly necessary to say that in the return of the trump lead 
most careful attention should be given to the rule for returning 
from long or short suits. It is bad enough to mislead a partner in 
plain suits by returning the lowest of a short suit, or other than the 
lowest of a long suit (though this mistake is not often made); but in 
trumps it is a fatal error. He counts one more trump in your hand 
than you really have, and therefore one less in the enemies' hands, or 
vice versa; he miscounts the other suits also ; and his whole strategy 
is disarranged. 

As to the play third in hand to your partner's lead, that has been 
already considered. 

It remains that I should consider the lead of trumps from great 
strength — first in trumps only, secondly all round. 

Great strength in trumps may consist either in length only, as 
when you have five or six trumps, no honors ; or in combined 
length and strength, as when you have four trumps, two honors, or 
when you have five trumps (or more), one honor. 

When you have five trumps, says the book rule, "it is always 
right to lead them;" yet experience at once suggests an exception to 
this rule — for when you want only the odd trick to save or win the 
game, you do not lead trumps from five. The rule should rather 
be that it is almost always well to lead trumps from five. With 
the original lead, perhaps the only exception is the one just men- 
tioned. But when the preceding play shows that your partner has 
no good suit, while your own hand contains none outside trumps, 
leading trumps from five would be bad play; and, as such cases are 
common, the exception is rather an important one to notice. Sup- 
pose, for instance, your hand is weak outside trumps, of which you 



56 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



hold five, and that your opponent on the right leads King of a plain 
suit, taking the trick ; and then a small one, which his partner takes 
with the Ace; and that then the Queen of another suit is led out, on 
which your partner puts the Ace, and third player a small one: 
you know now that your opponent on the right has the King-card 
and probably command of his own suit and the King -card of 
his partner's, who holds second and third best. If now your part- 
ner leads a small card of the remaining plain suit and you take the 
trick with the Queen, it would be unwise to lead a trump from five 
small ones, for your opponents on either side have one suit cer- 
tainly, and another probabl}-, established, while either the King or 
the Ace of your partner's suit is on your right. The best use you 
can make of your trumps is to keep them to ruff your opponents* 
suits or 3^our partner's (when player to your right puts on his best 
card in that suit), according to the way your plain suits are dis- 
tributed. And so in a number of cases where you learn from the 
play that the probabilities are not — as when you lead originally 
from five trumps and a weak hand — in favor of your partner hav- 
ing at least one strong suit. 

But when you are original leader holding- five trumps, hot more 
than one honor, and all your plain suits weak, you have good reason 
for expecting that your partner hag one good suit which by means 
of your trumps you can help him to establish and bring in. 
Further, the chances are two to one that opening any other suit will 
be playing the adversaries' game, as you have no means of guessing 
which is your partner's suit. So that, alike for offensive as for de- 
fensive considerations, your proper lead is your penultimate trump. 
(Always excepting the case where you want the odd trick either to 
save or win the game.) 

rWith good plain cards and five trumps you need never hesitate 
to lead trumps, unless you want the odd trick only — in which case 
rjovL should always play the safer game of aiming to obtain the odd 
trick surely; for, what good will three or four tricks made from a 
long suit do you, in such a case, to compensate the risk of failing to 
get the odd trick? 

With a good plain suit, the short suits well protected, and four 
trumps (two honors), the original lead being with you, you may 
safely lead trumps, exceptjvhen playing for the odd trick only. 
At love with such a lead, you take the best chance of making game 



HOW TO PLAY TRUMPS. 



57 



if your partner has an honor. But this forward play should be re- 
garded as tentative only, and to be dropped at once if your partner 
shows great weakness in trumps; for then there is reason to fear 
that one or other of the adversaries may have superior strength to 
you in trumps. 

When you have such a hand, but not the original lead, the ques- 
tion of leading trumps or not will depend on what you infer from 
the tricks already played. 

Strength in trumps sufficient to justify leading them is not suffi- 
cient to justify signalling for trumps. When you lead trumps, you 
nearly always suggest to your partner that it vrill be well for him 
to follow your lead; but when you signal, you practically direct 
him to do so. A really commanding hand is required to justify 
such a course. Clay indicated, as his own rule, never to signal with 
fewer than four trumps two honors, or five trumps one honor; but 
he added that he by no means intended to imply that with such 
trumps you should always signal. As a matter of fact, you should 
have good cards in plain suits to justify a signal from the minimum 
trump hands indicated by Clay. 

, It is an almost constant rule to return your partner's trumps when 
he has led from strength; but it should be a constant rule to obey 
the signal, when made by a partner who understands Whist. It is 
a good rule, however, to disregard the signalling of any player who 
has ever misled you by signalling without due cause — unless, at 
least, he candidly admits that he repents him of his error, and prom- 
ises amendment. 

5 



Chapter YIII. 



DISCABDING. 

Few points of Whist play are more important (and, it might be 
added, few are more neglected) than the discard. An original dis- 
card is like an original lead in its significance ; a forced discard has 
a meaning akin to that of a forced lead ; it is as important to dis- 
tinguish a forced from an original discard as to avoid mistaking a 
lead from weakness for a lead from strength ; and, finally, to discard 
properly at the close of a hand often requires as much skill as the 
art of rightly placing the lead at that stage of the game. 

When you have to discard to the first suit led, that suit being 
plain, and no indication having been given of trump strength any^ 
where, your course is simple. If the plain suit is your partner's, 
you discard from your shortest suit, unless in so doing you have to 
unguard a King or Queen, when — unless you are very strong in 
"trumps — it is better to discard from the suit which needs least pro- 
tection : though, of course, you would unguard a King or Queen un- 
hesitatingly rather than injure a long and strong suit of your own. 
If the suit (plain) which you first fail in is your adversary's, you 
equally discard from your shortest suit, in general; but to the excep- 
tions just noted may be added (i.) the case where you have to leave 
an Ace single, and (ii.) the case of your shortest suit being a single- 
ton. For when an adversary's suit has been exhausted, your weak- 
est suit is likely to be your partner's best, and it may be a matter 
of great importance later to give him a lead in it. But if your own 
suit is strong as well as long, and you are fairly strong in trumps, 
you may more safely uncover an Ace or discard a singleton, for the 
close of the hand is more likely to be under your control than under 
your partner's. You must weigh the chances, and take your chance, 
just as you have to do when forced to lead from a weak suit without 
knowledge how your partner stands in it. 

When trump strength has been disclosed, either by the signal or 



DISCAEDING. 



59 



by a lead, before the occasion comes for a discard, or when you have 
to discard trumps, the general rule is, discard from your weakest 
suit if trump strength lies, or appears to lie, with you and your 
partner ; from your longest and best - protected suit when trump 
strength lies, or appears to lie, with the adversaries. (But so long 
as there is a chance of bringing in your long suit, you should not 
discard from it.) While doubt remains as to the position of trump 
strength, avoid unguarding King or Queen, uncovering an Ace, or 
discarding a singleton ; but when it is certain that your partner has 
commanding strength in trumps you need be less careful on these 
1 points, for there is little fear but that your partner will get the lead 
when he wants it. Albeit, cases sometimes arise where your long 
suit is worthless, and so much manifestly depends on your giving 
I your partner a lead, or keeping guarded a strong card in his suit, 
j that you must discard (even originally) from your long suit. Com- 
I mon -sense must guide you in such cases. Remember, however, as 
j a general rule for learners, that your original discard indicates your j 
I shortest suit if trump strength is not declared against you, your / 
I longest suit if it is. Subsequent discards have no such significance. 
One of the most important points in Whist training is to learn to \ 
notice the original discard of each player as carefully as you should 
notice his lead. Until you do this you cannot properly be said to 
play Whisf at all. 

In the later rounds of a hand the question of the discard assumes 
an entirely different aspect, just as does the question of the lead. 
You have to consider what suit the enemy threaten to bring in, so 
that if you have command in that suit you may retain it religiously 
(for the effect of the reverse course, see Game XXXYIII.); and to 
note what suit, if any, your partner may bring in; so that if you 
have the command in that suit, in such sort as to be likely to ob- ^ 
struct him, you may give it up by discarding your commanding 
card. CSee Games XXXII. and XXXIII.) 

Discard the best from a suit of which you have entire command, 
the second best only when you hold it single. 




Chapter IX. 



SIGNALLING. 

THE SIGNAL FOR TRITMPS. 

The signal for trumps consists in playing an unnecessarily high 
card (as five when you hold four or three), and is completed when 
the lower card is played. It is now so constantly in use that we 
must set aside all discussion as to whether Whist has been improved 
or impaired by its invention. All that has to be considered is when 
and how to signal. 

Signalling from five trumps, one honor, or four trumps, two hon- 
ors, the rest of the hand being weak, must be regarded as unsound 
play. From such hands you may properly lead trumps, but not 
signal. 

Some few players hold that you may signal when, having the lead, 
you would not lead trumps — as, by winning third hand with King 
when you hold Queen, or with Ace when jow hold King, or by lead- 
ing Ace before King from Ace, King, and others, to indicate the 
wish for a trump lead from partner. But it is a good rule to follow 
— more nearly a constant rule than almost any that can be named — 
to regard no hand from which one would not lead trumps, no matter 
what the trump card, as one from which it is right to signal. A 
trick may occasionally be made by waiting, in such cases, for a lead 
from partner, but in the long run more is lost. 

In signalling second in hand, one must be especially careful to 
play an unnecessarily high card, and not a card which may be mis- 
taken for an attempt to take the trick; at least, this should be done 
where it is possible. Playing ten or Knave second hand, and in the 
second round a small one, is not necessarily a signal, imless the 
Knave or Queen (respectively) should fall, so as to show you were 
not playing the customary lowest from Queen, Knave, or Knave, 
ten, and a small one. To signal effectively from Queen, Knave, and 
a small one, the Queen must be played and then the Knave, not the 



SIGNALLING. 



61 



Knave and then the small one. Similarly, from Knave, ten, and a 
small one. 

One may signal, of course, as readily by a discard as when follow- 
ing suit. 

In passing, I may note that it may be either unwise or unfair to 
hesitate when the chance of signalling comes. Eepeatedly it happens 
that second player shows — to his loss, or it may be to his gain, ac- 
cording to circumstances — that he is strong in trumps, but not quite 
strong enough to signal, by hesitating before playing a small card 
such as he would have been sure to play without hesitation, but 
for doubts as to signalling. Thus, I lead Ace; the player on my 
left, after hesitating and perhaps drawing out another card, plays 
Deuce ; I know, and every one else at the table knows, that he had 
thought of signalling, but concluded to refrain. He is therefore 
certainly strong in trumps, but not quite strong enough to signal. 
It is unfair to show this to a partner who may be, perhaps, himself 
so strong in trumps as to be sure it is safe to lead them after what 
he has learned; on the other hand, it is not wise to show this strength 
to the enemy, who may have good strength, too, and may take ad- 
vantage of what they have learned to force you, or otherwise spoil 
your plans. The risk may compensate the advantage ; but, in any 
case, it is not Whist to show anything about your hand by your way 
of handling your cards — whether through design or carelessness. 

THE ECHO OF THE SIGNAL. 

When trumps have been signalled by your partner, and you have 
yourself length in trumps, it is most desirable to let him know as 
much, that he may not, by continuing to lead trumps, extract two 
for one or for none from the adversaries. It often happens that 
you are not able to indicate length in trumps, under these circum- 
stances, by a return lead ; or the lead of trumps may be delayed, and 
you may wish to indicate your trump strength at once. Under such 
circumstances you should ''echo" the signal, if you have an oppor- 
tunity of so doing; that is, you should play an unnecessarily high 
card before a low one, in any suit, trumps or plain, in which you 
may be able thus to indicate the possession of four trumps at 
least. 

This "echo " signal has, like the signal for trumps, its negative as 
well as its positive aspect. Just as not signalling for trumps when 
you have the opportunity means that you have not more than a cer- 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



tain degree of strength in trumps and plain suits combined, so, not 
to echo the signal, if you have the chance, means that you have not 
more than three trumps. Viewed in this aspect, the echo of the sig- 
nal is of as frequent use as the signal itself ; for, in the great majority 
of cases where trumps are led or signalled, your partner has an op- 
portunity of showing either that he lias or that he has not four (or 
more). 

You cannot readily echo, as you can signal, by the discard, for 
when your partner has signalled, and the opponents lead a suit which 
you can ruff, you would not discard from a plain suit, but take the 
trick, whether you held more or fewer than four trumps, in order 
that you may lead trumps in response to the signal. 

It is well to notice, in regard both to the signal and to the echo, 
that failing to observe either form of signal on the adversaries' part, 
or the absence of either when there has been an opportunity for its 
display, is as mischievous as failing to notice such signals, or their 
absence, in your partner's play. Thus, suppose one of the adversaries 
leads trumps, really in response to his partner's signal, but as you 
suppose (not having noticed the signal) from his own strength; if 
the chance of forcing him arrives, you seize it, thereby playing his 
game; or when you should force the hand of the partner who sig- 
nalled, you omit to do so, supposing him to be weak in trumps. In 
fact, failing to notice the play of the adversaries with regard to the 
signal is apt to prove a more dangerous error than failing to notice 
your partner's signal; for, in the former case, your play, in conse- 
quence of your carelessness, is weak and incorrect in presence of 
trump strength of the adversaries, the consequence of which can 
hardly fail to be disastrous; in the other case you fail properly to 
support your partner, but his trump strength is there all the time, 
and will probably save you at least from irremediable disaster. In 
the latter case, you may probably fail to make a game which might 
have been won ; and despite the saying that the cards never forgive, 
you may retrieve the error in half the number of events. But, in 
the former case, you are very likely to lose a game which might have 
been saved, and there is no way of restoring a game which has been 
lost. 

It is hardly necessary to observe that whether a player approves 
or not of the general principle of signalling, wherever required, at 
Whist, he must play at a disadvantage if he fails to adopt the sys- 
tem against players who studiously employ it. But if your part- 



SIGNALLING. 



63 



ner is habitually careless with regard to the signal, while your op- 
ponents are observant, it is well to avoid signals of all sorts, since 
they inform the adversaries and tell your partner nothing. 

LATE SIGNALS. 

It is well remarked by both Cavendish and Clay that if a playei 
fails to signal at the first opportunity, his partner need not regard a 
signal given later as having the same authoritative character which 
an original signal possesses. An original signal means more than a 
trump lead. It means, or should mean (only some players are too 
ready to signal), that the signaller is not only very strong in trumps, 
but has such strength in other suits that (1) he can answer for the 
absolute safety of a trump lead, and (2) can give good promise of a 
great game. A signal after the first chance for signalling has passed, 
means much the same as a trump lead; and whatever rule to the 
contrary may be set up, a trump lead does not involve the return of 
trumps by partner as necessary or even always proper. Sometimes 
a trump lead is tentative, and in not a few cases where it is so, the 
return of trumps would be bad play. So, a late signal means little 
more, usually, than that a lead of trumps is likely to be advantageous. 

But it occasionally happens that a late signal points to the only 
way of making the game, and should be answered at once. In fact, 
after the middle of a hand, a signal — when possible, which is not 
often — may have a very pointed meaning. Take a case such as oc- 
cured to myself recently. I call myself B, my partner A, and players 
to right and left of B, Y and Z, as in the games. Seven rounds re- 
mained to be played, and one round of trumps (Diamonds) had been 
already taken out, in such sort as to leave the best, 3d, and 5th best 
trumps with B, the 2d and 4th with T, and three trumps between 
Z and A, their positions unknown, but one certainly with A. One 
trump had been forced from F, the original trump leader. The best 
and third best hearts lay with F, and three small Hearts were with 
A, command in Clubs being with Z. B, who has not had a lead, 
holds, besides his three trumps, Queen, Knave, three, and two of 
Spades. As it chanced, every trick was wanted to make the game. 
At this juncture A led Spade King, Spades having been as yet un- 
played, but (from the play) being Z's suit. Here ^'s course to a won 
game (with A's concurrence) is plain and obvious, while it is equally 
clear that any other course must lead to the loss of one trick at least 
by A, B, The only way of making the game is by signalling. There- 



64 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



fore B dropped the three and two of Spades in that order to the 
King and Ace; A responded to the signal by a trump lead; and 
every trick went to A, B. On the contrary, if B had not signalled, 
or A had failed to respond, A would have led a small Heart, which 
!F would have covered with the third best, and B would have been 
forced to ruff ; for, if he passed the trick, Y would have simply re- 
peated the force. Then B could have done nothing with his com- 
mand in Spades but force the enemy, uncertain whether he were 
forcing Z or Y; if Z, then the lead of a winning Club would again 
force B, and three tricks in all would be made by Y, Z; if luckily F, 
then but one trick would be made by F, Z, but still their game would 
be saved. 



Chaptek X. 



THE LAST TRICKS. 

Skill at Whist is chiefly shown as the last few tricks are made. 
The steady conduct of the hand according to sound principles, and 
with careful attention to the fall of the cards, leads to a satisfactory 
(or the best available) position at the close, and the attentive player 
can usually tell precisely what that position is. But to take advan- 
tage of good points in the position, or to avoid threatened loss, re- 
quires other qualities than (as a rule) have been sufficient for the 
earlier conduct of the hand. The play is now like that of a double- 
dummy game. Only a trick or so may perhaps depend on correct 
strategy at this stage; but a game or a rubber may depend on that 
trick. 

The chief points arising at the close of a game are these: (1) The 
right choice of cards to throw away to winning cards either of the 
enemy or of your partner; (2) placing the lead; and (3) what may- 
be regarded as a combination of both points, the recognition of the 
necessity w^ch sometimes arises for throwing away a winning card 
or an extra trump — playing what is called (after Deschapelles) the 
grand coup. 

Necessity for care in choosing the right card or cards to throw 
away to tricks won by partner or the adversaries may arise in sev- 
eral ways, and a case of this kind may be simple or difficult accord- 
ing to circumstances. Thus, you have a card which would be a 
certain winning card if you had to lead it, which yet is of no 
value to you because the suit is certain not to be led. In this 
case you throw it away without hesitation. Again you may have 
to choose between throwing away a trump (to a suit already 
trumped higher by the enemy) or a certain or possible winning 
card in a plain suit; yet, though this seems like the grand coup, 
the question may be one of extreme simplicity, from the considera- 



66 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



tion that the trump will certainly be of no use to you (being at once 
drawn by the enemy if retained) while the good plain-suit card may 
take a trick. Again the choice between two good cards to throw 
away may be a little more difficult, because you may be in doubt 
which of the two suits will be eventually led ; or of two second-best 
cards, you may doubt which to throw, because, while you are cer- 
tain that one or other of the best cards to those suits must be dis- 
carded by the enemy, you cannot tell which it will be. Or, lastly, 
the question may be of discarding guarding cards, and you may be 
in doubt which of two suits must be most carefully guarded. 

It is impossible to lay down rules here, since each case must be 
dealt with as it arises, and the number of cases is legion. Nothing 
but great care and attention can save you from losing tricks at the 
end of several of the hands played in the course of an evening, by 
discarding from the wrong suit. But when, by carefully following 
the fall of the cards, you know where the command in each suit 
lies, and also where small cards which will have to be led are situ- 
ate, you generally have a tolerably easy problem towards the end of 
the game, in selecting which cards to throw away and which to retain. 

Skill in throwing the lead is akin to Whist memory, in that it 
comes to be instinctive with practice. A good player feels, when he 
holds a major tenace, for example, that he must throw the lead so 
that the holder of second best guarded should have to play before 
him; while when the major tenace is against him he feels, without 
any occasion for thinking about it, that the holder of that tenace 
must, if possible, be made to play before him. 

There are often simple cases of throwing the lead, inVhich, never- 
theless, the average player frequently blunders, if not on every oc- 
casion which arises. Thus, leader holds the major tenace and a small 
card against the minor tenace and a small card, in trumps or in a 
plain suit after trumps are extracted. In nine cases out of ten the 
average player, even though he has seen enough to know how the 
matter stands, leads, nevertheless, the best card, transferring the ad- 
versary's minor tenace into major tenace, through which he has to 
lead, losing, therefore, both the remaining tricks. It is so obvious that 
in such a position the small card should be led, that it seems hardly 
worth while to notice the point; yet we see tricks lost in this way re- 
peatedly; of course, by leading a small card, even though the trick 
'may be made by the adversary's small one, yet as he has to lead 
from his minor tenace you make two tricks. 



- THE LAST TRICKS. 6^ 

One sometimes hears a weak player explain that he could not lead 
a particular card because he knew an adversary would take the trick, 
though this may be just what he should have done to save the game. 
You know, suppose, that the player to your left has the winning 
Spade, the second best and two small Clubs, you holding a small 
Heart, the major tenace in Clubs, and a small Spade (trumps all out); 
you know, further, that your partner has the best Heart and three 
small Clubs, the adversary to your right having only small cards, so 
that he can get no lead. You want three tricks to save or to win 
the game. Under these circumstances if you lead a Heart, your part- 
ner makes a trick in Hearts, and must then lead Club through your 
tenace ; you make a trick in Clubs, and the remaining two tricks go 
to the enemy. But now suppose that you had led a Spade. Your 
adversary to the left takes the trick, by which you lose nothing, as 
he must have taken it anyhow But now he has to lead a Club; 
and, however he leads, you make two tricks in Clubs, lead your 
small Heart, and give a third trick to your partner. 



THE GRAND COUP. 

The grand coup consists in throwing away a trump or a winning 
card in order that you may escape a lead, where leading would lose 
you a trick. Take, for instance, the following case: 

j5 holds 

Diam.^Z. Clubs— 5, 4, 2. Hearts— Q. 

(Diam, — Kn. 
Clubs-6. 
Hearts— 6, 3. 
^™ Spades-9. 

Diam, — Q. Clubs — Q, 9. Hearts— 4. Spades— 8. 

You are T; Diamonds are trumps. A leads Diamond Queen; 
and you know how the above cards lie. How shall you play? If 
you discard Club three, A leads his small Spade, you make the trick, 
and make no more. If, on the contrary, you discard the winning 
Spade, then, however A plays, your Club Knave will eventually 
make ; and as A holds the smaller Spade of the two left, you gain a 
trick (since A cannot escape leading his Spade). 

If you have the major tenace and a small card in trumps, and a 
losing card, while your right-haud adversary has the minor tenace 



68 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



only, or the second best guarded in trumps, the possession of that 
small trump may force you to lead from your major tenace, in which 
case, of course, the adversary will make a trick in trumps. But if 
you can part with that small trump, by under- trumping your partner, 
or by trumping a trick he has already won (leading then your losing 
card) your tenace will be led up to, and every trick in trumps be 
made. 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES 



•70 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME 1. 

THE HANDS. 



n ( Diamonds— Q, 9, 7, 2. 
^ I Spades— Q, Kn, 10, 3. 



Hearts— Q, 6. 
Clubs— K, 6, 4. 



' Diamonds— Kn, 10, 
8, 6, 4. 
r -l Spades— 8, 7, 4. 
Hearts— K, 2. 
Clubs— 10, 5, 3. 





B 




Tr.DKg. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Diamonds — A, K. 
Spades — 9, 5, 2. 
Hearts— Kn, 10, 9, 
8, 4. 

Clubs— Q, 9, 7. 



A ( Diamonds — 5, 3. 
^ (Hearts— A, 7, 5, 3. 

8core:—AB,\) YZ,S 



Spades— A, K, 6. 
Clubs— A, Kn, 8> 2. 



Note.— The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

A'S mPEKENCES. 

1. Either 3 C and 4 C are both 
with J5, or else F or Z is signal- 
ling for trumps. B has not the 
Queen. 

Note to Trick 1. — Having 
five trumps, one honor, and his 
partner having an honor, Y 
would be justified in signalling 
for trumps were the score low, 
but not as the score stands. 

2. B has Kn S, 10 S, and prob- 
ably one or more small Spades. 
Z is not signalling for trumps, 
and therefore has neither 3 C nor 
4C. 

Note to Trick 2. — A does 
well to take the trick and return 
the Ace, thus leaving B the com- 
mand of the suit. 

3. Y has signalled, and there- 
fore has either 4 C or 3 C ; the 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


C2 


C5 


CKg 


C7 


2. 


SKg 


S7 


SQ 


S2 


3. 


SA 


S4 


S3 


S5 


4. 


S6 


S8 


SIO 


S9 












5. 


CA 


C3 


C6 


C9 


6. 


H3 


H2 


HQ 


H4 


7. 


HA 


HKg 


H6 


H8 


8. 


H5 


D4 


D7 


H9 


% C8 


CIO 


SKn 




10. 


D3 


D6 


D2 


DA 


11. 


H7 


DIO 


C4 


HKn 


12. 


D5 


D8 


D9 


HIO 


13. 


CKn 


DKn 


DQ 


CQ 



1 



FORTY ILLUSTBATIVE GAMES. 



n 



other being with B. As Z turned an honor, T and Z are probably 
two by honors, in which case A B must make four by tricks to save 
the game. 

4. The last Spade is with B (the Knave). 

5. B has 4 C, but no more Clubs. 

Note to Trick 5.— J5 returns the highest of two cards. 

6. Z has not the King of Hearts; B has not the Knave (Hearts 
must be Z's best suit, trumps being F's). 

Note to Trick 6. — Under the circumstances Y should have 
played the King. It is his best chance of getting a lead. 

7. Z has the Knave of Hearts. The only chance of saving the 
game lies in the probability (A having four Hearts, and Z a long 
suit of Hearts) that B may be able to ruff Hearts next round. 

8. If Y has played properly, all his remaining cards should be 
trumps, and the game is lost. 

Note to Trick 8. — If F trumps at all he should play his highest. 
His small trump is useless. He should know that the best Heart is 
with Z. 

9. Z has the Ace of trumps (Kn S being a thirteenth card). 

Note to Trick 9.— Z's play here is bad. He knows his partner 
has an honor, with a strong hand in trumps, and two tricks only are 
wanted to win the game, besides the two certain tricks Z holds in 
his hands. 

10. If B has not Queen and ten or nine of trumps, the game is lost, 
for the remaining cards in Y'& hand must be trumps (one honor at 
least). 

11. Z should have led the Queen of Clubs. The Knave of Hearts 
is equally a winning card of its suit ; but the play should have shown 
Z that B has a small Club, and that therefore Y can win trick 11 
with his smallest trump. As it is, Fhas to play highest third hand. 
B does rightly in not overtrumping. If he did, the remaining two 
tricks would be F's, but by letting trick 11 pass, B remaining with 
the tenace in trumps (and knowing Z to be without trumps) has the 
two last tricks sure. 



Game I. shows the inferences which can be drawn from the play 
by one of the players (the leader). We have added notes also* on 
the play as it proceeds. The inferences are all of the simplest kind, 
supposing the game to be conducted according to the accepted prin- 
ciples for sound play. 



72 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME IL 




THE HANDS. 



( ^ades—Yji, 10, 3. 
^ \ Hearts— 6, 2. 



r Q, 6, 5, 2. 

^ 1 Hearts — A, Kn, 8. 
^ 1 Clubs— 10, 9, 8. 

[ Diamonds— 10, 6, 2. 



-A, 8, 7. 



Clubs— Q, 7, 5, 2. 
Diamonds — A, 8, 4, 3. 





B 




r. S4 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



J— K, 9, 4. 
Hearts— 10, 9, 7, 3. 
Clubs— 6, 4, 3. 
Diamonds — Q, Kn, 
7. 



Hearts— K, Q, 5, 4. 

Score:— A B,^; YZ,0. 



Clubs— A, K, Kn. 
Diamonds — K, 9, 5. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


HKg 


HA 


H2 


H3 


2. 


CKn 


CIO 


C2 


C3 


3. 


S7 


S2 


SIO 


SKg 


4. 


CKg 


C8 


C5 


C4 


5. 


S8 


S5 


SKn 


S4 


6. 


SA 


S6 


S3 


S9 


7. 


CA 


C9 


C7 


C6 


8. 


HQ 


H8 


H6 


H7 


9. 


H4 


HKn 


D3 


H9 


10. 


D5 


DIO 


DA 


D7 


11. 


D9 


SQ 


CQ 


HIO 


12. 


DKg 


D6 


D4 


DKn 


13. 


H5 


D2 


D8 


DQ 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 
b's inferences. 

1. A has Queen of Hearts and 
probably two other Hearts; nei- 
ther A nor Z (who has not sig- 
nalled) is very strong in trumps. 

2. Zhas led from 10 C and 
two small ones, probably from 
10, 9, 8; Y's hand must be very 
weak, but in all probability he 
has four trumps. A has Ace 
of Clubs and King of Clubs. 

Note to Trick 2. — With 
such a hand Y should have led 
a trump. 

3. A has strength enough in 
trumps, with command in other 
suits to justify a trump lead. 
(This is ^'s inference, and also 
our comment.) 

4. Z, if he has played rightly, 
has no more Clubs. 4 C was the 
lowest Club in hand, and Z can- 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



73 



not have two more, for B can place four of the remaining five, viz., 
9 C with Y, Ace with A, and two in his own hand. But B knows 
that 6 C cannot be with Y, and if with A, then A would have orig- 
inally led Clubs unless holding at least three Hearts besides Ace and 
King. B is for the moment liable to be misled by Z's false card. 

Note to Trick 4. — Z plays badly in returning his partner's lead 
when honors in the suit are declared against them. Leading Clubs 
at all, he should have led 6 C, if only for the sake of uniformity. 

5. The Ace of trumps lies with A, the Queen with Y. 

Note to Trick 5. — Y might well have played his Queen of 
Spades. The Ace certainly does not lie with B, and is far more prob- 
ably with A than with Z. Even if with Z, there is the chance of Z 
having also a small trump. 

6. The long trump is with Y. 

7. Z played a false card, or at least incorrectly, in trick 4. 

8. A holds 4 and 5 of Hearts, see Trick 1. 

9. H 10 is probably with Z, 

10. B knows that Y has led from a weak suit, not from King, 
Knave, 10, for otherwise Y would not originally have led a Club. 
He knows also that Z cannot be strong in Diamonds, or he would 
not have returned Clubs, in which his partner showed weakness. 
The King of Diamonds probably lies with A, as A led trumps from 
so weak a suit as Ace to three. B therefore boldly plays his Ace of 
Diamonds, and with the long Club forces out the long trump. 

11. It matters not how Z discards. If he discards a Diamond A 
discards 5 H, and wins the remaining tricks, as in the actual game. 

A B make three by cards. Had Y led trumps at trick 2, or 
played his Queen of Spades at trick A B could have made but two 
tricks. But the game would have gone better yet for Y and Z if, Y 
having led as he actually did, Z had led 7 H (bad as returning an 
I opponent's lead usually is) at trick 4. 

This game is taken from the Westminster Papers for 1877. Mr. F. 
H. Lewis, one of the finest Whist-players (if not the very finest) liv- 
ing, was A. We give ^'s inferences, with notes on the play. The 
game shows how the fall of the cards may lead a good player to lead 
trumps early from three only. 

6 



14 



HOW TO PLAT WHIST. 



GAME III. 
THE HANDS. 



Tf j Hearts—Kn, 9, 3. 
^ i Spades—A, 10. 



Diamonds— K, Kn, 9, 5, 4, 2. 
Clubs— 7, 5. 



f Hearts— 6, 2. 
J Spades— 8, 6, 5. 
1 Diamonds— 10, 8, 3. 
L Clubs— Kn, 10, 9, 3. 





B 




Tr. Bi 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts— A, 10, 5, 4. ^ 
Spades — 4, 2. 
Diamonds — 7, 6. 
Clubs— A, K, Q, 8, 
2. 



. ( Hearts— -K, Q, 7. 
^ ( Spades— K, Q, Kn, 9, 7, 3. 



Diamonds — A, Q. 
Clubs— 6, 4. 



Score :—A B, 4; YZ,4:. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A may have led from 
Knave, ten, nine, so far as Y or 
Z can tell. B, holding the ten, 
knows the lead is from King, 
Queen, Knave. He puts on Ace 
to give his partner command of 
the suit. If he played ten, A 
would continue with Queen, 
and Ace would take it, whereas 
by playing ten, on returning the 
suit, B leaves his partner the op- 
tion of taking the trick, or letting 
the ten take it. As the cards lie, 
B does not get the chance of re- 
turning his partner's lead, after 
showing his own strong suit. 

2. B leads the ante - penulti- 
mate, Drayson's plan for show- 
ing six of a suit. 

B. Seeing that four of Dia- 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


SKn 


S5 


SA 


S2 


2. 


DQ. 


D3 


D5 


D6 


3. 


DA 


D8 


D2 


D7 


4. 


S^ 


S6 


SIO 


S4 


5. 


H7 


H2 


HKn 


H5 


6. 


HQ 


H6 


H9 


,H4 


7. 


SKg 


S8 


C5 


HIO 


8. 


HKg 


H8 


H3 


HA 


9. 


C4 


C9 


C7 


CQ 


10. 


C6 


CIO 


D4 


CKg 


11. 


S3 


CKn 


D9 


CA 


12. 


S7 


C3 


DKn 


C8 


13. 


S9 


DIO 


DKg 


C2 



Y Z win the odd trick and the ganae: 



FOETY ILLUSTEATIVE GAMES. 



15 



monds cannot lie with F or Z (from their play), A should place it 
with B, and credit B with all the remaining Diamonds but one. 

4. A has all the remaining Spades but one, which may lie either 
with T or Z. 

5. A does not continue his established suit, fearing to force his 
partner (F trumping first). But he had two chances in his favor if 
he had led spades. First, he would as probably be forcing an ad- 
verse strong trump hand as one held by B; secondly, Z may have 
the remaining Spade, in which case B would lie over F in ruflSng, 
and still only trump for trump be drawn. A's fault, here, loses the 
game, though it requires keen play by F and Z to win it with such 
a wretched hand as F has. Z does not win the trick, knowing that 
his only chance lies in taking the last round of trumps. He plays 
five (four being the trump card), to show his partner one more card. 
(Notwithstanding opponent's trump lead, Z has length in trumps, 
and plays correctly in showing this to F) 

6. B leads the highest of two cards left; the fall of the cards 
shows A that B must have the three, and therefore no other. Yet 
with such cards as he knows to remain in his hands and ^'s, with 
reasonable probability that at least one good club lies with B, A 
need not yet despair. He knows, however, that Ace must lie with 
the enemy, and the way it is kept back is ominous of trouble. 

7. A resumes his long suit when the mischief is done. If he had 
drawn a trump from Z, he might himself, holding King and Queen, 

I have played the waiting game. Z trumps, disregarding the prob- 
ability that A held originally four trumps — for this simple reason, 
that, as the score stands, 7 and Z must make every other trick. 

8. Even now a single trick will save and win A B's game, and 
nothing but very careful play can win F Z's. 

9. Z leads the Queen, in order that his partner may get out of 
his way, if he hold Knave and either ten or nine. If F holds all 
three the lead of the Queen is the only one which would show him 
he must clear the way, accordingly F throws away the remaining 
high cards. 



The above game illustrates the importance of playing a waiting 
game in trumps when a long suit has to be brought in. 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAMB IV. 
THE HANDS. 



pj Clubs — Kn. 
•^(Hearts— Kn. 



Clubs— A, 6, 4, 3, 2. 
Hearts — Q. 
Spades — K. 
Diamonds — A, K, 
Q, Kn, 8, 6. 



Clubs— 10, 9, 8. 



Spades— A, Q, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — 5, 4, 3, 2. 





D 




Tr. CQ. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 


9, 4, 2. 




Score :- 


—Love all. 



Clubs— q, 7, 5. 
Hearts— 8, 7, 6, 5, 3. 
Spades — Kn, 9. 
Diamonds— 10, 9, 7. 



Spades— 10, 3, 2. 
D iamonds — none. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. F knows that B is not play- 
ing a false card in his (B's) part- 
ner's suit, so that B will be able 
(probably) to overtrump second 
round. 

2. A, of course, continues his 
suit. If he did not know that B 
can trump the suit, he would not 
force the adversary, being him- 
self strong in trumps. This play 
should suggest to Y that A is 
strong in trumps, and he should 
give up any idea of playing a for- 
ward game. He cannot help 
yielding to the force; if he de- 
clines, he will be forced again 
next round, and must either yield 
then under less favorable con- 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


HKg 


HQ 


HKn 


H3 


2. 


HA 


CA 


D2 


H5 


3. 


CKg 


C2 


CKn 


CQ 


4. 


CIO 


C3 


D3 


C5 


5. 


C9 


C4 


D4 


C7 


6. 


C8 


C6 


D5 


H6 


7. 


mo 


D6 


S4 


H7 


8. 


H9 


D8 


S5 


H8 


9. 


H4 


DA 


S6 


D7 


10. 


H2 


DKn 


S7 


D9 


11. 


SIO 


SKg 


SA 


S9 


12. 


S2 


DQ 


SQ 


SKn 


13. 


S3 


DKg 


S8 


DIO 




A B make six by tricks. 





FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



,77 



ditions, or let Z ruff, who must be weak in trumps. It is better to 
throw the lead at once into Z's hand. If he had donie this, Z would 
have made the second trick with trump, have played the Ace of 
Spades, and then forced F with the Qu«en. F might then have led 
Diamonds, in order to force A (which, as it happens, would come 
off in the first round), leaving A either to lead trumps under un- 
favorable conditions, or to force F, which F could accept, being able 
to force back with his Diamonds, when Z would be left with length 
in trumps. As it is, F, after throwing away the commanding card 
in trumps, is absolutely powerless. . . 

3. The rest of the hand plays itself. F's discard of the Diamond 
Ace, at Trick 9, is intended to show his partner that F has entire 
command of the Diamond suit, but Fgets no chance of leading Dia- 
monds or any other suit. 



Game lY. illustrates the danger of continuing a forward game 
when the necessity for defensive measures is clearly shown. It has 
been made up to illustrate the following passage: ''I dealt," says 
Clay, "and turned up a Queen, along with which I. held two small 
trumps. My partner — nor was he a bad player — held the Ace 
and four of the smallest trumps, and, so to speak, the whole of an- 
other suit. With this strength, assisted by my Queen, he promised 
himself, reasonably enough, a great score, if not the whole game. 
But the first two tricks showed him that he would be overtrumped. 
He should have submitted to this, and, as it happened, he could have 
made a good score, but he was unable to dismiss the idea of a strong 
attack. He trumped the second trick with his Ace, led a trump— 
and we made no other trick. Thus, with Ace, Queen, eight trumps, 
five of which were in one hand, between us, we lost twelve tricks 
out of the thirteen." 



78 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME F. 

THE HANDS. 

Gluhs—'Kn, 10, 9, 8. Spades— A, 5, 4. 

Hearts— A, Q, 9, 6. Diamonds— K, 4. 



' Clubs— 'l, 6, 5. 
Hearts— 10, 7. 
Spades— 10, 7, 6 
Diamonds — A, Q, 
Kn, 5, 3. 



: Clubs-A, 3, 2. 
Hearts— K, Kn 





B 




Tr. CKg. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 


8,3. 



Clubs— K, Q. 
Hearts— 8, 5. 
Spades— K, Q, 9, 2. 
Diamonds— 10, 9, 7, 
2. 



Spades— Kn, 8, 3. 
Diamonds— 8, 6. 



Score .-—Three all. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


H3 


H7 


HQ 


H5 


2. 


C2 


Co 


CKn 


C^ 


3. 


S3 


S6 


SA 


SKg 


4. 


C3 


C6 


C8 


CKg 


5. 


S8 


S7 


S4 




6. 


SKn 


SIO 


S5 


S2 


7. 


C4 


C7 


C9 


CA 


8. 


D6 


D3 


CIO 


S9 


9. 


H2 


HIO 


HA 


H8 


10. 


HKn 


D5 


H9 


D2 


11. 




DKn 


H6 


D7 


12. 


H4 


DQ 


D4 


D9 


18. 


D8 


DA 


DKg 


DIO 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads the lowest but one. 
B wins with the Queen, and ob- 
serves that the two does not fall 
in the trick. Either one of the 
players is calling for trumps, or 
A is leading from five or more. 
If from more than five, the suit 
will be trumped next round. 
Having a sequence, he leads the 
head of it. 

2. B knows now that the ad- 
versaries are two by honors. Z, 
having turned up the King, prop- 
erly heads the trick with the 
Queen. 

3. Z plays his best suit. B, 
winning the trick, continues the 
trump lead. He knows that he 
must make two by cards to save 
and win the game. He properly 
leads the eight to show his part- 
ner the strength of his sequence. 

4. Z continues his suit. 



FOETY ILLUSTKATIYE GAMES. 



79 



5. Z plays another Spade in the hope of finding the Knave with 

r. 

6. A knows now that the Ace will fall, and that B will, probably, 
remain with the last trump. Of course, there is a chance of Z hav- 
ing the seven. 

7. Z is now in a difficulty. He knows he can force the remaining 
trump, but he knows also that B has led trump upon the Heart suit. 
Y may, however, have an honor in Hearts, and it is better in any 
event, as far as the Diamonds are concerned, that F should be fourth 
player. F discards a Diamond to the thirteenth Spade, though not 
of much use now, as the only trump is forced from B. The rest of 
the game plays itself; but, if the young player will play the game 
over, and suppose B to have led three rounds of Hearts before lead- 
ing trump, he will find that Y and Z will make six tricks and win 
by their honors. If the two had been led instead of the three, B, al- 
though he might nevertheless have led trumps, would have had no 
means of judging that the entire suit was between him and A. 



The above game, with its notes, was supplied by Mr. F. H. Lewis, 
who added the following remarks on the penultimate (illustrated by 
this game) : 

''Playing the penultimate is leading the lowest but one in suits of 
more than four cards, which are not headed by the Ace, or do not 
contain two commanding honors or strong sequences, etc. This mode 
of play is, practically, the invention of Cavendish, and is the logical 
extension of the lead of the lowest but one, in suits containing inter- 
mediate sequences. I look upon the invention as little inferior, in 
its means of conveying information (and its consequent influence 
upon the game), to the convention which requires a player to return 
his lowest in suits of four cards, or his highest in a suit of three. In 
point of fact, in some cases it conveys more rapid information, for 
the lead from five cards may be, and often is, declared in the second 
round of the suit. And where the dealer, being happily possessed of 
five trumps, is forced before trumps are led, and trumps with the 
penultimate, the information of a minimum of five trumps is con- 
veyed at once. I ought, perhaps, to state that, unless there are special 
reasons to the contrary, the lowest but one should still be led in the 
trump suit, notwithstanding that it might be headed by Ace, King, 
or Queen, with small cards. It is true that, occasionally, a weak lead 
simulates a lead from five or more ; for a player, unknown to his part- 
ner, may have his strong suit attacked by the adversaries. In such 
cases, where the lead is not an original lead, a partner must draw 
Ms inferences with more caution, " 



80 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME VI. 

THE HANDS. 



P j Bpades — A. 

^ I Diamonds— A, K, 10, 3. 



Clubs— K, 9, 7, 2. 
Hearts— Kn, 7, 6, 3. 



f— Q, 8, 7, 3. 
Diamonds — Q, Kn. 
Clubs— A, Kn, 6, 5, 
4. 

^ Hearts — 5, 2. 





B 




Tr. SKg. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Spades— K, 10, 9. 
Diamonds— 9, 8, 7, 
6,2. 

Clubs— 10. 
Hearts— K, 9, 8, 4. 



. j Spades— Kn, 6, 5, 4, 2. 
( Diamonds— 5, 4. 



Clubs— Q, 8, 3. 
Hearts— A, Q, 10. 



Score :—A B, 4: ; YZ,4:. 



Note. — The 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


D5 


DKn 


DKg 


D2 


2. 


CQ 


CA 


C2 


CIO 


3. 


C3 


C4 


CKg 


S9 


4. 


D4 


DQ 


DA 


D6 


5. 


S2 


S3 


SA 


SIO 


6. 


C8 


S7 


DIO 


D7 


7. 


HIO 


C5 


C7 


SKg 


8. 


S4 


S8 


D3 


D9 


9. 


S5 




H3 


H4 


10. 


^ 


CKn 


C9 


H8 


11. 


SKn 


C6 


H6 


D8 


12. 


HA 


H2 


H7 


H9 


13. 


HQ 


H5 


HKn 


HKg 



□Led card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFEKENCES. 

1. A, with five trumps, one 
honor, leads from his shortest 
suit, hoping to play a ruffing 
game. His hopes, it will be 
seen, are not fulfilled by the 
event. 

2. Y having five Clubs, and 
seeing lowest Club led, which 
shows that ^ is not leading from 
short suit, can pretty safely infer 
that Z has played his only Club. 
Being strong in trumps himself, 
he returns his opponent's lead 
(which is from liis own long 
suit), forcing Z. 

3. Z, being short in trumps, 
would ruff even if the trick were 
a doubtful one. 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



81 



4. Z, like F, returns his opponent's lead. Having five Diamonds, 
and noting that neither the three nor the four fell to trick 1, he can 
infer, with some degree of probability, that A has led from a short 
suit, in which (from his play) Fis also short. Trick 4 shows exactly 
how the case lies, and Z can place every Diamond. Y also sees how 
the Diamonds lie. 

5. B, having the winning Diamond, takes out a round of trumps 
before leading it, knowing his partner's play, and that, Flying over 
him, ^'s plan is not likely to prove very successful. 

6. B should have led a Heart. Fruffs, of course, though holding 
four trumps, and 

7. Leads his lowest Club to draw his partner's trump card. He 
can count the Clubs, knowing that B must originally have held four, 
and he knows, therefore, that, if he leads the best, A will trump. 
By playing the lowest, he causes his partner's King to fall sepa- 

' lately. The odd trick and the game are won at this point, 

8. Z leads the best Diamond, knowing his partner to lie over A. 
It matters not how A plays as the cards lie, but, "for the sake of 
uniformity " ( F having already renounced), A should have played 
his best trump or none. 

10. F, finding all trumps left with A, throws the lead into Ms 
hand, knowing that he must lead a Heart either after or before last 
trump, and that the trick wanting to win the game must in that way 
be secured, unless A and B between them have entire command of 
Hearts, in which case the game is gone anyhow. 



Game VI., from the Westminster Papers for August, 1874, is 
selected as illustrating the weakness of lead from short suit — even 
when the odd trick only has to be made to win, and the idea is not 
to bring in long suit, but to use long trump suit to ruff. Our corre- 
spondent, Mr. Lewis, was F. His lead at trick 7 is worth noticing. 



82 



HOW TO PLAT WHIST. 



GAMU YIL 

THE HANDS. 



i 



1—10, 9. 4. 



( Hearts— K, Q, 10, 4. 



s — A, Kn, 5. 
Hearts — A, 3. 
Clubs— 3. 

Diamonds — A, K, 
10, 8, 5, 4, 2. 



. j ^ato— Q, 3, 2. 
^ \ Hearts— 9, 8, 5, 



2. 



Clubs— K, Kn, 9. 
Diamonds— 7, 6, 





B 




Tr. SS. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



?5— K, 8, 7, 6. 
Hearts— Kn, 7, 6. 
Clubs— 8, 6, 5, 2. 
Diamonds — Q, 9. 



Clubs— A, a 10, 7, 4. 
Diamonds— Kn. 



Score :—A B, A; YZ,0. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


r 


B 


Z 


1. 


DKn 


DKg 


D3 


D9 


2. 


S2 


S5 


S9 


SKg 


8. 


S3 


SKn 


S4 


S6 












4. 


SQ 


SA 


SIO 


S7 


5. 


H2 


DA 


D6 


DQ 


6. 


H5 


DIP 


D7 


C2 


7. 


H8 


D8 


C9 


C5 


8. 


C4 


D5 


H4 


C6 


9. 


C7 


D4 


HIO 


C8 


10. 


H9 


D2 


HQ 


H6 


11. 


CIO 


HA 


HKg 


H7 


12. 


CQ 


H3 


CKg 


HKn 


18. 


CA 


C3 


CKn 


S8 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads our old friend, the 
singleton. The score being at 
4, he hopes to get a trick or two 
by ruflang, and to secure the odd 
trick and the game. Y, from 
his own hand, and from his 
familiarity with A's way (who, 
however, apart from his weak- 
ness for a singleton lead, is a 
strong player) knows that A has 
not led from strength, he there- 
fore, though with only three 
trumps, 

2. Leads a trump. B probably 
holds ten and a small one (A be- 
ing presumably weak in trumps). 

3. The finesse here is perfectly 
sound. Z has returned the six 



FORTY ILLtJSTRATIVE GAMES. 



83 



of Spades, eight being the trump card; therefore he held four 
originally. It is very unlikely that B holds Queen. With Queen, 
ten, nine, and small one, he would not have played nine to trick 2. 

5. Having cleared out trumps, except his partner's turn-up card, 
Y proceeds with his long suit. 

7, 8, 9, and 10, 5's discards, are bad. Ay having discarded Hearts, 
can be strong only in Clubs (for there has been no such overwhelm- 
ing trump strength against A and B as to justify A in discarding 
from his best suit). B therefore should have retained his Hearts ; he 
certainly should not have unguarded his King. It would have made 
no difference so far as the game was concerned; but as it is, T Z 
make every trick. Had A originally led Ace of Clubs, Y Z would 
have made no more than the odd trick. 



Game VII. illustrates the weakness of the lead from a singleton. 



84 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME VIIL 

THE HANDS. 



xjj Clubs— K, Kn. 
-^(Spades— Q, 9. 



f Clubs— q, 4, 3. 
Spades— Kn, 8, 5. 
Hearts— A, 5, 2. 
Diamonds — A, Q, 
10, 3. 



Hearts— Kn, 10, 9, 8, 7. 
Diamonds— 7, 6, 4, 3. 





B 




IV. C6, 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



(7?wJ5 — 5. 

Spades— A, 10, 7, 6, 

4, 3, 2. 
Hearts— Q, 6, 3. 
Diamonds— 8, 5. 



. j C7?t^5s— K, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 2. 
^ Spades— K. 



Hearts — K, 4. 
Diamonds — K, Kn, 9. 



Score:—AB,S; TZ,4t. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads the penultimate 
(the ante-penultimate is not de 
rigueur with a six-card suit ; but 
here would have been very suit- 
able). 

2. B returns the best of two 
left. Z discards from his long- 
est suit, the opponents having 
shown superior strength in 
trumps. 

3. A leads a trump, though 
thus two fall for one, to show 
his partner his strength, and that 
one trick from B will win the 
game. This Y and Z equally 
perceive. Z sees that nothing 
can save the game unless T is 
strong in Diamonds (^'s discard 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


C6 


C3 


CA 


C5 


2. 


CKg 


C4 


CKn 


S2 


3. 


C2 


C^ 


D3 


S3 


4. 


SKg 


SKn 


SQ 


SA 


5. 


D9 


DIO 


D4 


D8 


6. 


CT 


S8 


S9 


SIO 


7. 


HKg 


HA 


H7 


H3 


8. 


C8 


S5 


D6 


S6 


9. 


H4 


H2 


H8 


HQ 


10. 


C9 


H5 


HKn 


S7 


11. 


CIO 


D2 


D7 


S4 


12. 


DKn 


m 


H9 


D5 


13. 


DKg 


DA 


HIO 


H6 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 85 

showing that B'8 suit must be hearts. Z discards another Spade, 
as he must retain the power of leading his partner's suit more than 
once. 

4. Y leads his partner's suit. Luckily the honors fall in a single 
round. 

5. Y finesses deeply, knowing that, if either King or Knave is with 
B, the game is lost anyhow, and 

6. Leads his best Spade. 

7. A leads his King, from King one small one ; see Leads. 

10. B discards his best Heart to show he has entire command of 
the suit. 



Game VIII. is from Cavendish. There can be no doubt, I think, 
that on both sides the hand is played as good players would be sure 
to play it. ' ' Cavendish, " who considers A's play sound throughout, 
remarks that A's lead at trick 3 is unlucky, as it puts the adversaries 
on the only tack for saving the game. But Y can count the trumps 
as it is. He knows B cannot have more than one left after second 
round ; and that, if B had none, A would simply put down the six 
remaining trumps and claim game. If A had not led a trump at trick 
3 (which was certainly his proper course), he would have led the 
small Diamond, on which Y would have put his ten as the only 
chance of saving the game. The result would have been the same. 



86 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME IX. 

THE HANDS. 



p j Spades— A, K, 6. 
^ \ Hearts— K, Kn, 2, 4. 



Clubs— 5, 2. 

Diamonds— K, Kn, 3, 2. 



Spades— S, 7. 
Hearts— 9, 7, 6. 
Clubs — A, K, Kn, 
10. 

Diamonds— 10, 7, 6, 
5, 





B 




Tr. 55. 


y 


z 




A leads. 



Spades— 9, 5. 
Hearts— A, Q,10,8. 
Clubs— 7, 6, 4. 
Diamonds — A, Q, 
8, 4. 



J j ^ades—q, Kn, 10, 4, 3, 2. 
^ 1 Hearts— 5, 3. 



Clubs— Q, 9, 8, 3. 
Diamonds— 9. 



Score:—AB,0; YZ.A. 



Note.— The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 




87 


86 


85 


2. 


SKn 


88 


SKg 


89 


3. 


S2 


D5 


SA 


C4 


4. 


D9 


DIP 


D2 


D4 


5. 


H3 


H9 


H2 


H8 


6. 


H5 


H7 


H4 


mo 


7. 


C3 


CIO 


C2 


C7 


8. 


S3 


H6 


HKn 


HQ 


9. 


C8 


CKn 


C5 


C6 


10. 


C9 


CKg 


D3 


D8 


11. 


CQ 


QA 


DKn 


DQ 


12. 


SIO 


D6 


DKg 


DA 


13. 


84 


D7 


HKg 


HA 



N0TE8 AND INFERENCES. 

1. A, of course, leads Queen 
of trumps (see Leads). F, B, 
and Z can all place Knave and 
ten in ^'s hand, also two, three, 
and four of Spades from the 
play. 

2. All the players should 
know where the remaining 
trumps lie. 

3. B, not having noticed the 
fall of trumps, only counting 
them, leads Ace to draw another 
round, though Y and Z have 
none, and he ought to know it. 
The discards are as Clay gives 
them. Z's is made on the old- 
fashioned principle of discarding 
from shortest suits, Y sees, how- 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



87 



ever, that it is better for him to retain the power of leading (as 
often as there may be occasion) to his partner. It was from such 
considerations that the modern principle of discarding from the 
longest suit, when strength in trumps is declared against you, took 
its origin. 

4. B leads from what he takes to be T's weakest suit, Hearts and 
Diamonds being equally strong in his own hand. 

5. If F leads Clubs — in which suit his partner is weak— the game 
is obviously lost, for A has three more tricks in trumps. If Zis not 
strong in Hearts the game is lost ; therefore Y plays as if he knew Z 
to be strong in Hearts. Z finesses deeply. 

6. T continues the Heart lead. 

7. Z leads a Club, and Y finesses the ten. 

8. Y continues the Hearts, forcing A, who can only lead Clubs, 
in which suit Y is secure, and the game is won for Y Z, F making 
three tricks in Clubs. 



Game IX. is from Clay. The young Whist-player will carefully 
note that the line on which Y and Z play in order to save and win 
the game is not that which should be followed if the score were 
" Love all," and honors not all with A B, For the position of the 
cards which causes Y Z to save the game by departing from rule, 
and leading from weak suits, is antecedently improbable. F Z play 
as they do because it is their only chance. Had the Knave of trumps 
been either with F or Z, falling first or second round to a higher 
honor, F's proper course would have been to play out his King and 
Ace of Clubs, then the Knave, which ^'s Queen would have taken; 
then, whatever A led, the game would be saved by Y Z. We note 
also that the play of the hands is given here in accordance with 
Clay's suggestions; according to the present system of discarding 
(to which Clay later gave in his adherence), Z, instead of discarding 
a Club at round 3, would have discarded a Heart, thereby showing 
Fthat Hearts were his best suit. 



88 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME X. 

THE HANDS. 



^ i Clubs— S, 7, 6. 
( Diamonds— K, 6. 



" Clubs— A, Kn, 9, 3. 
Diamonds — 8, 4, 3, 
2. 

Spades — A, Kn, 9, 
4, 2. 

Hearts — none. 



^ I Clubs— q, 10, 5. 



Spades— K, Q, 10, 3. 
Hearts— Kn, 7, 4, 2. 





B 




Tr. CKg. 


y 


z 




A leads. 



Clubs— K, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — 9, 7. 
Spades— 7, 6. 
Hearts— A, Q, 9, 8, 
6, 5. 



Diamonds — A, Q, Kn, 10, 5. 

Score :^ABA\ YZ,3. 



es— 8, 5. 
Hearts— K, 10, 3. 



Note.— The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


DA 


D3 


D6 


D7 


2. 


DIO 


D2 


DKg 


D9 


3. 


S5 


SA 


SKg 


S6 


4. 


C5 


C3 


C6 


CKg 


5. 


CIO 


CKn 


C7 


C4 


6. 


CQ 


CA 


C8 


C2 


7. 


S8 


S2 


S3 


S7 


8. 


DQ 


D4 


H2 


H5 


9. 


DKn 


D8 


H4 


H6 


10. 


D5 


C9 


H7 


H8 


11. 


H3 


S4 


SIO 


H9 


12. 


HIO 


S9 


s^ 


HQ 


13. HKg 


SKn 


HKn 


HA 



KOTES AKD INFERENCES. 

1. A leads correctly from suit, 
headed by Ace, Queen, Knave, 
etc.; see Leads. Y begins to 
signal, having four trumps, two 
honors, and a good suit, his 
partner also having turned up 
the King. A alone knows, so 
far, that some one is signalling 
for trumps (Facts most unwise- 
ly in signalling with so weak a 
hand outside trumps). 

2. A shows that he has led 
from Ace, Queen, Knave, ten, 
and at least one small one (or 
he would have followed with 
Queen) . Y completes the signal. 
Z knows that neither B nor ^has 
any more Diamonds. A and B 
know that Z has no more. 

3. B knows that Y holds two 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



89 



and four of Spades. A, F, and Z know that B holds the Queen 
and at least two others, unless, which is unlikely, B has led from a 
three-card suit. 

4. Y knows that Z holds two of Clubs. 

5. Z returns the highest of two Clubs left, and F, knowing that 
two is with Z, at once places the remaining four Clubs with A and 
B. It is more probable that they are equally than unequally divided, 
and, as A plays the ten, the chances are in favor of the Queen being 
with A. But, at any rate, the finesse of Knave would be correct. 

6. F is now, of course, sure of drawing two trumps, remaining 
with the long trump. 

7. F's purpose, of course, is to draw J5's Queen of Spades, remain- 
ing with the tenace in that suit, and entire command, should ^keep 
to his suit. But B sees that, whether he finesses the ten (success- 
fully) or takes the trick with the Queen, F and Z must win, if, be- 
sides the two and four of Spades already placed in his hand, F holds 
Knave and another. For F has two Diamonds left, and, if he held 
originally five Spades, can have no Hearts. So that, if B takes two 
tricks in Spades, F will make two tricks in that suit, whatever B 
may lead, besides his long trump. Or, at the score, F Z would win 
(two by tricks). Therefore, B plays for the only chance left, viz., 
that A may lie over Z in Spades, and bring in his Diamonds. This 
comes off. 

8 and 9. A makes two tricks in Diamonds, and 

10. F should have left him to make yet another. Yielding to the 
force, Fis compelled 

11. To lead through B's tenace. 

A B win the odd trick and the game, tricks counting before honors. 
If F had refused to be forced at trick 10, F Z must have won. A 
would have been obliged to lead a Heart through B's singleton in the 
suit, and F Z would have made two tricks in Hearts, and a third 
with F's long trump. F played badly throughout. 



Game X. illustrates the way in which inferences are made, and 
shows how they affect the play. They seem to require much care 
and attention, but are all in reality perfectly simple, and such as 
the Whist-player, with sufficient practice, will make at once. 

7 



90 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XL 

THE HANDS. 



p j Rearts—K, 8, 6, 4, 2. 
^ I Spades— 6, 2. 



Diamonds — 9, 6, 3, 2. 
Clubs— A, 7. 



" Hearts — A, Q, Kn. 
Spades— 8, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — A, 10. 
Clubs — Q, Kn, 10, 
5, 3. 



( Hearts— 10, 7. 





B 




tt. m. 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



Hearts—^, 5, 3. 
Spades — Q, Kn. 
Diamonds — K, Q, 

Kn, 8, 7. 
Clubs— 9, 4, 2. 



Diamonds — 5, 4. 
\ Spades— A, K, 10, 9, 4, 3. Clubs— K, 8, 6. 

Score (probably) \—A B,0 ; FZ, 0. 



Note.— The 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


SKg 


S5 


S6 


SKn 


2. 


SA 


S7 


S2 


SQ 


3, 


HIO 


HKn 


HKg 


H3 


4. 


H7 


HQ 


H2 


H5 


5. 


C6 


CQ 


CA 


C2 


6. 


D4 


HA 


H4 


H9 


7. 


CKg 


CKn 


C7 


C4 


8. 


SIO 


S8 


D2 


D7 


9. 


S9 


C3 


D3 


D8 


10. 


S4 


DIO 


D6 


DKn 


11. 


S3 


C5 


D9 


C9 


12. 


D5 


DA 


H8 


DQ 


13. 


C8 


CIO 


H6 


DKg 



Qed card wins trick. 
NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads correctly (see Leads). The 
two not falling, he knows some one is 
signalling. i> commences the signal. 
At the assumed score, B plays very bad- 
ly in signalling, though if the lead had 
been with him he would have been 
right in leading trumps. When a player 
leads trumps, he says to partner, "I am 
strong enough to play a forward game 
if you have strength;" but when he 
signals, he says, " I am strong enough 
to play a forward game even without 
your support, if you only bring in 
trumps." B, in this case, has only three 
probable tricks in trumps and one in 
Diamonds. 

2. B completes the signal ; A^s suit is 
established. Z has no more Spades. 

3. A rightly leads his best trump. 
F, from his own hand, knows that By 
in all probability, has the King ; for if 
A had the King he would not have led 
the ten, and if Z had the King, besides 
the trump card, B would only have had 
small trumps, headed by eight, from 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



91 



which he would hardly have signalled. F should therefore have put on the Ace. 

He gains nothing by this tenace being led up to, for if he had played the Ace, he 
would still have been sure of the third round of trumps as eventually played. 
Meantime he could have forced his partner in Spades, 

6. Here Y plays very badly. It is useless to lead from a long suit at this stage 
of a game, in which strength in trumps has been declared against you. Z is not 
likely to attribute strength to Y in any other suit but Clubs, even if any harm could 
come, at this critical part of the game, from such a mistake. Leading Ace of Dia- 
monds to save the game would have been sound play enough, though this might 
suggest length in Diamonds— unless Z himself is very strong in them, as Y knows 
to be probable. But the force is the correct play to save the game. Of course Y 
knows that Z can trump, the trump card not having been played. 

7. Even now, leading the Diamond Ace would save the game. (As a matter of 
fact, it would do much more, as B holds four Diamonds ; but of this Fcannot be as- 
sured. All he knows about Diamonds is that J., who has discarded one, is short 
In that suit ; so that 5 is almost certain to have one at least.) But Y blunders on 
with his long suit, on the chance that Z holds the King, and that B cannot ruff. 
B is much more likely, so far as Y can judge, to be able to ruff Diamonds than 
Clubs, for Y has two Diamonds and A is short in them, leaving at least eight be- 
tween B and Z ; whereas Y holds live Clubs, A from his discard certainly had at 
least three Clubs originally, while B and Z have already played one each, leaving 
only three to be accounted for between B and Z. Besides this, it is an even chance 
that A holds the King, not Z. 

8. 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Of course nothing can now be done. A and B make five 
by tricks, against YZ's two by honors. 



If at trick 5 Fhad played properly, the game would have proceeded thus: 





A 


F 


B 


Z 




A 


F 


B 


Z 


6. 


SIO* 


SB 


C7 


H9 


10. 


S9 


HA 


H4 


D7 






















6. 


D4 


DA 


D2 


DKg 


IL 


C6 


CQ 


OA 


C2 


7. 


D5 


DIO 


D3 


DQ, 


12. 


C8 


CIO 


H8 


a 


8. 


S3 


C3 


D6 


DKn 


13. 


CKg 


CKn 


H6 


C9 




















9. 


S4 


C5 


D9 


D8 













* A B only making the odd trick. 



Game XI. is given by Professor Pole. The score, on which in reality the play 
would greatly depend, is not given. We assume that it is "Love All but, if it 
were^ B love, FZ three, B's play would be better justified than it is under the 
assumed actual conditions, because then nothing could save A B (if honors against 
them) hut the possession of such cards, or at any rate such a long suit hy A, as B 
ought, under ordinary conditions, to hold himself— to justify his signalling from 
five trumps one honor. On the other hand, if the score were A B four, YZ three, 
B^8 play would be about the best he could follow to lose the game. The play of F 
Z ftlso would depend much on the score. 



92 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XIL 

THE HAISTDS. 



P j Diamonds—S. 

^ I Spades— 10, 5, 4,2. 



Hearts— A, Q, Kn, 9, 6, 2. 
Clubs— A, 6. 



Diamonds — K, 7. 
Spades — Kn, 7. 
Hearts— 10, 7, 5, 4, 
3. 

I Clubs— K, Q, 8, 4. 





B 




Tr. DA. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Diamonds — A, Kn, ^ 

10, 9, 2. 
Spades — A, K, Q, 
Hearts— 8. [9, 3. 
Clubs— 9, 7. 



A j Diamonds — Q, 6, 5, 4, 3 
^ \ Spades— 8, 6. 



Hearts — K. 
Clubs— Kn, 10, 5, 3, 2. 

Score :—A B, 4.; Y Z,^. 



Note.— The 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


C3 


CQ 


CA 


C9 


2. 


HKg 


H3 


HA 


H8 


3. 


S6 


H4 


HQ 


D9 


4. 


D4 




D8 


D2 


5. 


D3 


D7 


H2 


DA 


6. 


S8 


S7 


S2 


SK£ 


7. 


D5 


SKn 


S4 


SQ 


8. 


CKn 


C4 


C6 


C7 


9. 


DQ 


H5 


H6 


DIO 


10. 


D6 


C8 


H9 


DKn 


11. 


C2 


H7 


S5 


SA 


12. 


C5 


HIO 


SIO 


S9 


13. 


CIO 


CKg 


HKn 


S3 



aed card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. With five trumps, and five 
comparatively small cards, A 
properly leads from his plain 
suit [playing the penultimate, 
though, if the score were differ- 
ent, a trump lead would be per- 
missible, and, according to Pole, 
advisable; but the rule, "always 
lead a trump from five," is open 
to question]. The fall of the 
nine from Z shows A that Z ei- 
ther has no more Clubs or is sig- 
nalling [unless, which is less like- 
ly, Y held Queen only; in which 
case Z may have the King, and 
B have four Clubs left]. 

2. B opens his strong suit. 

3. B, although he has six 
Hearts, continues with the 
Queen, rather than with the 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



93 



Knave (see Leads, etc.) in order that A, having dropped the King, 
may not be in doubt. A refuses to overtrump Z, because it is clear 
to him that Z's hand consists of Spades and trumps : he therefore 
discards a Spade. 

4. Z sees his Spades in danger, and apparently from the weak 
hand. He plays, therefore, to find the King in his partner's hand, 
or finesse on the return. [A plays the penultimate trump, showing 
his partner (next round) that he held five originally,] 

5. Z is obliged to play the Ace, so as to get the first force on A be- 
fore he establishes his Club suit. [The care with which Z attends to 
this little matter will seem strange to those who think it a Whist of- 
fence of the first magnitude to give the enemy a chance of ruffing — 
they never call it ''forcing," by the way — or to fail to give one's 
partner such a chance. It may be worth their while, if such there 
be among our readers, for these unwise players to try the effect of 
Zs omitting to force.] 

8. Y passes, in the expectation that A will continue the Club, in 
wTiich he maintains the tenace. He thinks if he takes it he must force 
Z at the risk of his being overtrumped. But he did not take into 
account that Z's trumps must be Knave, ten, for if A had had the 
two best, he would probably have drawn the trumps. Z's play was 
to win the Club, force Z with the Heart, thus keeping the second 
best Club when A was forced in return with the Club, so winnintg 
the game. Z completes his signal. 

9 and 10. [Well played A f] The play of Y in the last trick lets 
A into the whole of his hand. It is clear to him that Y is keeping 
up the tenace, and that he has not the best Heart. J.'s play is then 
very pretty. By playing the Queen of Trumps he throws, in the 
next trick, the lead into Z's hand, taking the chance of finding J5 with 
a winning Spade. The rest of the hand plays itself. 



The above game was sent to Knowledge by Mr. Lewis, who also 
supplied the notes, except those within brackets. The play is good 
throughout, except the mistake on T's part, to which Mr. Lewis calls 
attention in his remarks; but Ys intention was excellent, and it was 
only A's deeper play which foiled it. Y had to take several things 
into account, and he took all points carefully into account except 
one: viz., that the lead could be thrown into Z's hand. The abuur 
dant signalling in the game is worth noticing, as also the way in which 
B omits the usual signal for length iu suit headed by Ace, Queen, 
Knave. 



94 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XIIL 

THE HANDS. 



J. { Spades—K, Q, Kn, 10, 9, 8. 
^ I Hearts— A, K. 



Clubs— A, Q. 
Diamonds— 8, 5, 2. 



^s— 7, 6, 5, 3. 
Hearts — none. 
Clubs— Kn, 9, 8, 6, 4 
Diamonds — K, Q, 
10, 6. 




A j Spades — 4. 
I Hearts— 7, 5, 4, 2. 



■A 2 

Hearts— q! Kn, 10, 

9, 8, 6, 3. 
Clubs— K. 
Diamonds — A, 9, 4. 



Clubs— 10, 7, 5, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — Kn, 7, 3. 



Score .-—A B, B ; TZ,B, 



Note.— The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A properly leads the pe- 
nultimate card of his long suit. 
B, finessing according to rule, 
and overlooking the fact that the 
case belongs to the exceptions, 
deliberately throws away the 
game. 

2. Z leads Queen, from Queen, 
Knave, ten, etc. Y trumps, fol- 
lowing Clay's rule not to pass a 
certain trick unless you see your 
way to making three by refrain- 
ing. B begins to signal, now that 
he has thrown away the game. 

3 and 4. Fand Z begin to take 
their tricks in Diamonds, B sig- 
nalling violently in a new suit. 
5. Z properly forces his part- 





A 


7 


B 


Z 


1. 


C3 


C4 


CQ 




2. 


H2 


S3 


HA 


HQ 


3. 


D3 




D8 


D4 


4. 


D7 


D6 


D2 


DA 


5. 


H4 


S5 


HKg 


H3 


6. 


DKn 


D^ 


D5 


D9 


7. 


C2 


C6 


CA 


S2 


8. 


H5 


DIO 


S8 


HKn 


9. 


S4 


S6 


SKg 


SA 


10. 


C5 


S7 


S9 


HIO 


11. 


C7 


C8 


SQ 


H6 


12. 


H7 


C9 


SKn 


H8 


13. 


CIO 


CKn 


SIO 


H9 



■A L 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



95 



ner instead of leading a Diamond. B completes his signal in Hearte, 
naturally. 

6 and 7. Y, having made his Diamond Queen, leads a Club, as 
very likely to give Z a ruff. For Fhad five Clubs originally, and A, 
having led, has four at least. With trick 7 the game is v^on, what- 
ever honors B may hold, for the Ace of trumps v^ill make the neces- 
sary eighth trick. For the sake of symmetry we give the remaining 
rounds as they would probably have been played did the rules of 
Whist require that all thirteen rounds should be played. 

This game illustrates forcibly the necessity of playing to the score. ^ 
Had B played his Ace of Clubs first round, of course the game was 
won, as he held two by honors in his own hand, and five more tricks 
certain. 



Game XIII. is so far artificial that only ^'s hand was actually left 
on record, with the score, ^I's first lead, and the result. At the score 
of ''Three all," B must have felt absolutely sure of success; but 
why, being sure, did he not keep so, by playing the sure game? The 
case illustrates well the necessity of playing always to the score. 
The wild signalling of B after his mistake, his despairing appeals to 
his partner to do what A never has the chance of doing, are, of 
course, little touches thrown in to make the lesson more impressive. 



96 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME Xir. 

THE HANDS. 



p j Hearts— K, 8, 5. 
^ I Clubs— Q, 10, 4. 



{Hearts — A, Kn, 4. 
Clubs— K, Kn, 7, 3. 
Diamonds — Q, 6, 5. 
Spades— 7, 6, 4. 



. j Hearts— 7, 6, 3. 
^ I Clubs— 8, 6. 



Diamonds— A, 10, 2. 
Spades— Q, Kn, 9, 3. 





B 




Tr. 119. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts— 10, 9, 3, 
Clubs— A, 9, 5, 2. 
Diamonds — Kn, 9, 
5—8, 2. [7. 



Diamonds— K, 8, 4, 3. 
Spades— A, K, 10, 5. 



Score :—A B, 4:; YZ,^ 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


SKg 


S4 


S3 


S2 


2. 


SA 


S6 


S9 


S8 


3. 


S5 


S7 


SKn 


H2 


4. 


C6 


CKg 


C4 


C2 


5. 


C8 


C3 


CIO 


CA 


6. 


D3 


C7 


CQ 


C5 


7. 




D5 


D2 


D7 


8. 


D8 


D6 


DA 


D9 


9. 


D4 


DQ 


DIO 


DKn 


10. 


H3 


H4 


H5 




11. 


H6 


HKn 


HKg 


HIO 


12. 


H7 


HA 


H8 


H9 


13. 


SIO 


CKn 


SQ 


C9 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1 and 2. A leads from his best 
and longest suit. 

3. It is unfortunate for Z, with 
four trumps, to have to ruff ; but 
of course he is wise in doing so 
at the score, and indeed if the 
score had been different. 

4. Y does not hold the Queen. 

5. As Y returns the lowest 
Club, he holds two more at least. 
He cannot have played his only 
remaining Club, for ^ holds prob- 
ably two more, certainly not 
more than two, and B, having 
played the ten, cannot have any 
cards left but the Knave or 
Queen, or both; even in the lat- 
ter case, a Clui) would be with 
Y, and if there is one there must 
be another, or Y^ holding two 
only after first round, would have 



FORTY ILLtJSTRATIYE GAMES. 



97 



returned the highest. Y notes that B has not the nine of Clubs 
(see notes on trick 11). 

6. Thus, as Z does not lead the Queen, A places the Queen in B's 
hand, and discards from his originally weaker suit of the two plain 
suits remaining. 

7. B does rightly — at the score — in leading from the suit from 
which his partner has discarded; it is the best chance of giving A 
a trick by ruffing. A does not hold the Queen. 

8. It is clear A holds the four, the winning card being with Y or Z. 

9. B has very little choice. Leading Spade Queen would be mani- 
festly bad, as J:, original leader of the suit, holds the only remaining 
card in it, so that either Y or Z can ruff, the other making a conven- 
ient discard. A trump lead is not likely to do any good, the trumps 
being probably pretty equally divided, and the game sure, unless Y 
and Z hold both Ace and Queen, and make them separately. As 

^ the score and play stand, it is better that either Y or Z should lead 
I trumps than A or B. 

ill. From the lead of the ten, Y knows that Z does not hold the 
King, for if he held it he would have played it, unless, besides the 
ten, he had held another. But in this case his trumps would have 
been originally King, Queen, ten, two, another, in which case (even 
after being forced) he could certainly have led trumps earlier. Now, 
the King being with the enemy, who hold the remaining Spades, Y 
Z are bound to lose if F takes trick 11. For then, if he leads the 
Knave of trumps, the King will take it, and a trick in Spades go to 
A B; while, if he leads the Knave of Clubs, it will be ruffed (for A 
i. has already renounced, and B does not hold the other Club), and the 

(King of trumps will make the odd trick. Y takes the only course 
to win. Whether the finesse succeed or fail as a finesse (it fails, be 
it noticed), A B must lose both the remaining tricks. This is ob- 
vious enough when the cards held by the four players after the tenth 
round are placed on the table; but how many a game has been lost 
in such a position by taking a trick at the wrong time? 



Game XIY. appeared some eight years ago in the Westminster 
Papers, Mr. F. H. Lewis playing hand Y. The play is singularly 
* regular in the first ten rounds, the inferences plain and obvious, so 
1 that the remaining cards in plain suits could all be placed by all four 
A players. Thus^ knows that Y cannot have the Queen of Spades (or 
4 he would have played it at trick 3), so that, Z having renounced in 
Spades, it must lie with B. He knows that Y and Z must hold each 
a Club — it matters not which has the winning Club. B knows in 
like manner that A holds the remaining Spade, Y Z Si Club each. Y 
knows his partner holds the remaining Club, and that A and B hold 
each a Spade;, and Z knows the same about Y. 



98 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XV. 

THE HANDS. 



f Clubs— A, 10, 8, 5, 4. 

!" 



Hearts— K, 5, 2. 



r Clubs— q, Kn, 7, 2. 
Hearts— 4, 3. 
T i Spades— A, K, Kn, 
6, 5. 

I Diamonds— A, K. 



Spades — 2. 

Diamonds— 10, 9, 7, 4. 





B 




IV. C9. 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



Clubs— 9, 6. 
Hearts— 10, 7. 
Spades— 10, 9, 8, 4. 
Diamonds— Q, Kn, 
8, 6, 3. 



. j Clubs— K, 3. 
^ ( Hearts— A, Q, Kn, 9, 8, 6. 



Spades— Q, 7, 3. 
Diamonds— 5, 2. 



8core:—AB,0; TZ,0. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


r 


B 


Z 


1. 


HA 


H4 


H5 


H7 


2. 


HKn 


H3 


HKg 


HIO 


3. 


CKg 


C2 


C5 


C6 


4. 


C3 


CKn 


OA 


C9 


5. 


D2 


CQ 


CIO 


S4 


6. 


S3 


SKg 


S2 


S8 


7. 


S7 


SA 


C4 


S9 


8. 


D5 


C7 


C8 


D6 


9. 


HQ 


S5 


H2 


D3 


10. 


H9 


S6 


D4 


D8 


11. 


H8 


SKn 


D7 


DKn 


12. 


H6 


DKg 


D9 


DQ 


13. 


SQ 


DA 


DIO 


SIO 



NOTES AND INFEEENCES. 

1. Both Y and B begin at 
signal, but B without good rea- 
son. Y has better, for he not 
only has four trumps, two hon- 
ors, but an excellent hand out- 
side trumps. 

2. A has led from Ace, Queen, 
Knave, and two at least. Y'a 
signal is completed; but B sees 
his opportunity, takes the trick 
(leaving his partner with the suit 
established), and leads the penul- 
timate trump. A bad partner 
would have saved his King 
(knowing the Queen with A), 
and lost the chance of making a 
great game. 

4. B, having five trumps, and 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



99 



knowing Z cannot have less than four trumps two honors (F being 
one who never signals without good cause), knows that J.'s Club 3 
cannot be the lowest of three left in hand; but it is the lowest Club; 
therefore A can have no more. For if he had had two he would 
have played the higher. The inference happens to be of no subse- 
quent use to A, but it is well to note it, as inexperienced players 
often lose by failing to notice just such points as these. T makes a 
similar inference, being sure that B would not have led trumps, after 
opponent's signal, from less than five trumps, one honor. F should 
have played the seven, on the chance that ten may lie with Z, As 
the cards lie, it would have made no difference in the result. 

5. Having second and third best trumps left, B leads the second 
best and draws F's Queen. Fdoes well to take the trick, having 
nothing to gain from getting out more trumps. 

6. 7", of course, resorts to his long suit; but unfortunately 

7. B has but one card of the suit, and, trumping the second round, 

8. Draws out the last of 7's trumps. Z discards penultimate Dia- 
mond, to show five in suit, but it is rather late for such refinements. 

9. B brings in his partner's long suit, and 
10, 11, 12, 13, A B make five by tricks, 



The above game illustrates the importance of clearing your part- 
ner's suit when it is established, and you hold the best card and but 
one small one. With two small ones, B, second round, would not 
have been justified in taking his partner's trick. 



100 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST, 



GAME XVI. 

THE HANDS. 



p ( Hearts— K, Kn, 4. 
^ ( Clubs— A, 7. 



f Hearts— 7, 2. 
Clubs— Q, 8. 
Diamonds— 6, 5, 2. 
Spades— 10, 8, 7, 5, 
3. 



Diamonds— Kn, 10, 7, 4. 
Spades— Kn, 9, 6, 4. 





B 




Tr. HS. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts— 10, 9, 8, 6, 
5. 

Clubs— Kn, 2. 
Diamonds — K, Q, 

9, 8. 
Spades— Q, 2. 



J ( Hearts— A, 3. Diamonds— A, 3. 

^ ] Clubs— K, 10, 9, 6, 5, 4, 3. Spades— A, K. 

0; rz, 4 



Note.— The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A, having seven Clubs, 
leads the ante-penultimate. 

2. B, having ho very good 
suit, returns his partner's lead ; 
from the fall of the cards he sees 
that all the remaining Clubs are 
with A. 

3. Although with only two 
trumps, J., having five winning 
Clubs, two winning Spades, and 
Diamond Ace, leads trumps, 
hoping by forcing to get out 
trumps and bring in his long 
suit. He leads Ace to insure 
two rounds of trumps at least. 

4. B knows from A's play that 
A has not led from a long suit 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


C5 


C8 


CA 


C2 


2. 


CKg 


CQ 


C7 


CKn 


3. 


HA 


H2 


H4 


H5 


4. 


H3 


H7 


HKn 


H6 


5. 


D3 


HQ 


HKg 


H8 


6. 


SKg 


S3 


S4 


S2 


7. 


CIO 


D2 


S6 


H9 


8. 


DA 


D5 


D4 


DKg 


9. 


C9 


S5 


D7 


mo 


10. 


C6 


D6 


DIO 


DQ 


11. 


C3 


S7 


DKn 


D9 


12. 


SA 


S8 


S9 


SQ 


13. 


C4 


SIO 


SKn 


D8 



FORTY ILLUSTEATIYE GAMES. 



101 



of trumps. For if A had had five trumps, headed by the Ace, he 
would have led trumps first round. B should have helped A in 
getting out as many trumps as possible, by playing his King and 
leading the Knave. The finesse succeeds, as it happens, but it was 
not good play. 

5. Kemaining trumps are with Z. * 

6. B leads Spades in response to ^'s discard of a Diamond. 

7. A forces Z, of course. F discards from his weakest suit; 5 
likewise. 

9. A again forces Z. 

The rest of the game plays itself. 



^ Game XVI. illustrates early lead from a short suit of trumps when 
) the long suit is established, and there are good re-entering cards. 



102 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XYIL 

THE HANDS. 



A Clubs— 8/ 
( Diamonds— Kn, 8, 3. 



r Clubs— 5, 2. 
-pr J Diamonds— K, 6. 
^ i Spades— Kn, 10, 4, 3. 

[ Hearts— Kn, 9, 6, 5. 



^ I Clubs-q, 7, 6, 4, 3. 



ies— 8. 7, 2. 
Hearts— 10, 8, 7, 4, 3. 





B 




Tr. CKn. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Clubs— A, K, Kn. 
Diamonds — 10, 9. 
Spades— A, K, Q, 
6, 5. 

Hearts— K, Q, 2. 



Spades— 9. 
Hearts — A. 



Diamonds— A, Q, 7, 5, 4, 2. 

Score:— A B, 2; YZ,S. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


C4 


C2 


C8 


CKn 


2. 


S9 


S3 


S2 


SKg 


3. 


C3 


S4 


S7 


SA 


4. 


C6 


CIO 


C9 


CKg 


5. 


C7 


C5 


S8 


CA 


6. 


HA 


H5 


H3 


HKg 


7. 


D4 


D6 


DKn 


D9 


8. 


DA 


DKg 


D8 


DIO 


9. 


DQ 


H6 


D3 


S5 


10. 


D7 


H9 


H4 


H2 


11. 


D5 


SIO 


H7 


S6 


12. 


D2 


SKn 


H8 


HQ 


13. 


£2 


HKn 


HIO 


SQ 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A properly leads a trump, 
though an honor turned, having 
five, one honor. He leads the 
penultimate. 

2. B does not hold four 
trumps, or he would ''echo" 
to his partner's lead of trumps. 

3. The penultimate signal is 
completed. Z, of course, should 
have led his Queen of Spades. 

4. Z should see that B holds 
no more trumps. T plays the 
ten to help his partner, B hav- 
ing shown weakness in the first 
round of trumps. 

5. Z does his best to help his 
adversaries. He not only gives 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



103 



up the command in trumps utterly, but draws two cards for one. 
He should have forced A with his Spade Queen. 

6. Even now the lead of Spade Queen would have been the cor- 
rect thing, though, as the cards lie, it would have done no good. 

7. It is necessary, to save game, to make every other trick, for Y 
Z are two by honors. Now, either the King is with B or not; if B 
holds it, whether guarded or unguarded, A B must win, for A holds 
the long trump with which to re-enter, if B is unable to return 
trumps. If the enemy hold King guarded, the lead of Diamond Ace 
must lose the game for A B, whereas there is a chance that Y hold- 
ing the King guarded, B may hold the Knave. A, therefore, plays 
on the line which gives the best chance of winning. 

8. etc. The rest of the game plays itself. Y Z have nothing more 
to do with it. 



Game XVII. illustrates the folly of playing the enemy's game by 
leading out winning cards of his suit — especially when the suit is 
trumps. 



104 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XYIIL 

THE HANDS. 



7? i Diamonds— 10, 8, 2. 
^ \ Clubs— A, Q, 9. 



' Diamonds — Q, Kn. 
Clubs— 10, 5. 
Hearts— 8, 7, 5, 3. 
Spades— K, Kn, 10, 
7, 3. 




M ( Diamonds — K, 9, 6. 4. 
^ \ Clubs— Kn, 8, 7, 6, 4. 



Hearts— Q, Kn, 10, 9, 6. 
Spades — A. 



Diamonds — 7, 5, 3. 
Clubs— K, 3, 3. 
Hearts— K, 4, 2. 
Spades— Q, 9, 8, 5. 



Hearts — A. 
Spades — 6, 4, 3. 



Score : — Love all. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A rightly opens his long 
suit, leading the penultimate. 
Unless some one is signalling, 
B perceives that Z must hold 
either two out of the three cards 
below the six, or all three if A 
has not led from a five-card suit. 
He finesses the- Queen as a mat- 
ter of course. 

2. Z's suit is shown. 

3. B properly opens his long 
suit, and is fortunate enough to 
see it established in the first 
round. 

4. A completes the penultimate 
signal. Z must hold the three; T 
has no more ; therefore, J.'s Clubs 
are established. 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


C6 


C5 


CQ 


CKg 


2. 


S3 


SKg 


SA 


S5 


3. 


HA 


H3 


HQ 


HKg 


4. 


C4 


CIO 


CA 


C2 


5. 


DKg 


DKn 


D2 


D3 


6. 


D4 


DQ 


DA 


D5 


7. 


D6 


H5 


DIO 


D7 


8. 


D9 


H7 


D8 


C3 


9. 


CKn 


H8 


C9 


H2 


10. 


C8 


S2 


H6 


H4 


11. 


CT 


S7 


H9 


S8 


12. 


S4 


SIO 


HIO 


S^ 


13. 


S6 


SKn 


HKn 


SO 



FOETY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



105 



5. B properly leads trumps, his own suit and his partner*s being 
both established. 

6. A rightly returns the lowest. 

7. B should now be certain that the enemy's trumps are exhausted; 
but, whether they were exhausted or not, his proper lead would now 
have been from his established Heart suit. This would have forced 
out the last hostile trump, however the Hearts lay; and then, the 
long trumps bringing in the lead again, A would have made all the 
remaining tricks with his Clubs. Putting aside ^'s showing, in 
tricks six and seven, that he held originally four trumps (or he would 
have returned the six), the case illustrates well the use of the force. 
For we see that even if the best ump had remained with Z, it could 
have been forced out, and the game won by cards. 

8. Through this erroneous lead 

9-13. A B fail to win as they would have done. 



Game XVIII. illustrates the importance of noting the card re- 
turned. Z threw away the game by sheer carelessness in the above 
case, as he knew the rule well enough. 

8 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XIX. 

THE HANDS. 



Clubs— Ym, 5. 
Diamonds — A, K, Q. 



r CluhsS, 4, 3. 
-rr J Diamonds — 8, 6. 
^ 1 Spades— 6, 5, 4, 2. 

L Hearts— A, Q, 9, 5. 



j Clubs— Q, 9, 2. 
^ ( Diamonds— 7, 5, 4 



Spades— K, Kn, 9, 8, 7. 
Hearts— 10, 4, 3. 





B 




Tr. (710. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Clubs— K, 10, 7, 6. 
Diamonds— Kn, 10, 

9, 3, 2. 
Spades — A, 10. 
Hearts— K, 8. 



Diamonds— 7, 5, 4. 

8core:—AB,l\ YZ,0. 



Spades— Q, 3. 
Hearts— Kn, 7, 6, 2. 



Note. — The 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


H2 


H5 


HIO 


HKg 


2. 


D4 


D6 


D^ 


DKn 


3. 


CA^ 


C3 


CKn 


CKg 


4. 


H6 


H9 


H3 


H8 


5. 


H7 


HQ 


H4 


SIO 


6. 


D5 


D8 


DK£ 


D2 


7. 


C9 


C4 


C5 


C6 


8. 


C2 


C8 


SKn 


C7 


9. 


SQ 


S2 


S7 


SA 


10. 


D7 


S4 


DA 


DIO 


11. 


S3 


S5 


S8 


CIO 


12. 


C2 


S6 


S9 


D9 


18, 


HKn 


HA 


SKg 


D8 



Qed card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads from his longest 
suit. 

3. B, trusting to his partner to 
protect the Heart suit, and being 
strong in both the other plain 
suits, leads a tmmp. Z having 
turned the ten, properly heads 
the Knave. 

4. A, having the finesse in 
trumps, waits for another lead 
from B, but he should not have 
continued the Heart lead. B can- 
not be strong in trumps, and A 
knows that he can have no 
strength in Hearts, ^'s proper 
lead here was the Spade Queen. 

5. 7, having no rentree card, 
gives Z a discard. He properly 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



107 



abstains from continuing with Heart Ace. The discard of the Spade 
ten shows Y that his partner had great numerical strength in Dia- 
monds. It was open to Z to discard a Diamond, as the lead of 
trumps was from the adversary; but, having four trumps originally, 
he had hopes of utilizing one of them. 

\ 7. 5 is in a difficulty. He knows Heart Ace to be with Y, but 
he knows also that he can have but one more Diamond, if any. As 
A continued the Heart suit, he probably wants the finesse in trumps. 
B, therefore, plays a trump. 

8. As Z discarded Spade ten, B discards Spade Knave, to show 
that his lowest Spade is equal to the ten. 

I 

9. Acting upon this hint, A plays Spade Queen. 

10. Z can count B's hand. If he leads the winning trump, and 
draws the Club two from A, he can then lead only Diamonds, and B 
will bring in his Spades. 

11. B here properly plays Spade eight. If Z passes it, B con- 
tinues the suit, and A, getting the discard of the Heart, Z loses the 
game. Z is not to be trapped. He knows he can save the game by 
forcing A, who has the losing Heart. 

: 

> Game XIX. was supplied by Mr. Lewis (with the notes). It illus- 
t trates the importance of care in determining whether to lead the 
winning trump or not. Game XX. illustrates the same point. 



108 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XX. 

THE HANDS. 



P j Spades — Kn, 4, 3. 
^ ( Hearts— Q, 10, 8, 7. 



Clubs— 8, 5, 4. 
Diamonds— Q, 10, 4. 



f Spades— 10. 
Hearts— K, 9, 5, 4, 
t\ 3. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 6, 2. 
Diamonds— 9, 8, 2. 





B 






Y 


Z 




A leads. 



Spades — A, K, Q, 
9, 7. 

Hearts— A, 6, 2. 
Clubs — K, Q, Kn, 
3. 

Diamonds — 7. 



A ) lofjuues — 8, 6, 5, 2. 
^ j Hearts— Kn. 



Clubs— A, 7. 



[3. 



Diamonds — A, K, Kn, 6, 5, 

Score:—AB,0; YZ,1. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFEEENCES. 

1. A has no other lead. 

2. In this position Z should 
not trump with the penultimate. 
The latter is the turn - up card ; 
and as Z is about to play out his 
tierce major, it is better if the 
trumps fall that Y should be left 
in no doubt. As, however, the 
eight and the turn-up remain in 
after the play of the three rounds, 
A may be credited with the eight, 
for if Z had had the eight, he 
ought to have trumped with it. 
The fall of the Diamonds at trick 
2 leaves Z in doubt as to wheth- 
er F or ^ has the Queen, but 
when at trick 4 Y discards Dia- 
mond nine, he cannot have the 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


DKg 


D2 


D4 


D7 


2. 


DA 


D8 


DIO 


S7 


3. 


S2 


SIO 


S3 




4. 


S5 


D9 


S4 


SKg 


5. 


S6 


C2 


SKn 


SA 


6. 


S8 


C6 


DQ 


S9 


7. 


CA 


C9 


C4 


CKg 


8. 


DKn 


H3 


C5 


H2 


9. 




H4 


C8 


H6 


10. 


D5 


H5 


H7 


C3 


11. 


D3 


CIO 


H8 


CKn 


12. 


HKn 


H9 


mo 


HA 


13. 


C7 


HKg 


HQ 


CQ 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



109 



Queen, as by discarding the nine he would be giving up the 
tenace. 

5. Z continues the trump to draw two for one. 

6. At this point Z should have cleared the Club suit. He must 
make two by cards, even if B has Knave and Queen of Diamonds, 
by refusing to trump, and discarding the two small Hearts. By 
drawing the last trump before clearing the Clubs, he enables B to 
take advantage of the information Y gave him when he; discarded 
the nine of Diamonds: B, therefore, properly discards Diamond 
Queen, thus leaving A, if he has a rentree card, in full possession of 
the suit. 

7. Behold the result ! A is left with four good Diamonds, and, 
making six tricks, saves the game. If at trick 6, instead of drawing 
the trump, Z had played Club King, A and B could have made but 
three tricks. Club King, Diamond King, and Diamond Queen; of 
course Z would not have trumped the Diamond Qiieen. The draw- 
ing of the last trump was the more blamable because F, at the 
fourth trick, had practically told Z he could not depend upon him 
for a trick in the Diamond suit. 



Game XX. was sent to us and annotated by Mr. F. H. Lewis. . It 
shows the importance of refraining from leading the winning trump 
when the enemy still has the King-card of one's long suit. It is 
specially instructive in showing the advantage of carefully playing 
bad hands. Both Y and B have poor hands, and as the game pro- 
ceeds it becomes clear to both players that all they can do is to play 
with careful reference to the indications as to their partner's hands. 
This they do. Fdoes all in his power to save his partner from the 
mistake into which, nevertheless, Z falls. As it happens, the enemy 
gains more than Y Z, but that is not F's fault. B carefully clears 
his partner's suit by throwing away the winning Diamond left alone 
inhis hand. 



110 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXL 

THE HANDS. 



^ ( Hearts— 6. 



' Spades — 6, 5, 4. 
Hearts—Kn, 10, 9. 
Clubs— Q, Kn, 8. 
Diamonds— Q, 8, 7, 
6. 



A, K, 7. 



Clubs— 10, 7, 5, 4, 2. 
Diamonds— K, 9, 5, 4. 





B 




Tr. SS. 


y 


z 




A leads. 



js— Q, 10, 8, 2. 
Hearts— A, K, 8, 3, 
2. 

Clubs— 9, 6. 
Diamonds — Kn, 3, 



( Hearts— Q, 7, 5, 4. 

Score :^AB,1; YZ,0. 



Clubs— A, K, 3. 
Diamonds — A, 10, 2. 



Note. — The underlined oard wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. With such all-round 
strength, the trump is the proper 
lead. It is true that where the 
lead is not from numerical 
strength in trumps the leader 
declares general strength, and 
gives the adversaries the op- 
portunity of finessing against 
him in plain suits. But with 
such a hand it is worth while 
running the risk. If the trump 
had not been led, A must have 
opened the Heart suit, in which 
only his partner's weakness 
(which might have been defeat- 
ed) could have helped him. 

2. Z opens a suit of five, head- 
ed by Ace, King. Some players, 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


S7 


S4 


SKn 


SQ 


2. 


H4 


H9 


H6 


HK^ 


3. 


H5 


HIO 


S3 


HA 


4. 


SKg 


S5 


S9 


SIO 


0. 


^ 


S6 


D4 


S2 


6. 


CKg 


C8 


C2 


CO 


7. 


CA 


CKn 


C4 


C9 


8. 


C3 


£2 


C5 


D3 


9. 


H7 


HKn 


C7 


H2 


10. 


DA 


D6 


D5 


DKn 


11. 


DIO 


D7 


D9 


S8 


12. 


22 


D8 


CIO 


H3 


13. 


D2 


DQ 


DKg 


H8 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



Ill 



acting upon the analogy of a suit of five headed by the Ace, lead the 
Ace first. But I do not approve of this play. If the Ace is trumped, 
the position of the King is unknown. If the King on the second 
round is trumped, it simulates the lead of the Ace, King, only. 

4. Although void of Hearts, B properly returns the trump. Z 
heads the nine, as the eight was turned. 

5. A continues trump, satisfied to make his Heart Queen later on. 
^ is in a diflBiculty what to discard. As his partner led from three 
trumps only, he is uncertain of his suit. He keeps his numerical 
strength in Clubs. 

9. A properly refuses to win the trick. With the long trump in 
sZ's hand, he would be freeing his other Hearts. 

12. The success of holding back the Queen is now apparent. A 
^nd B win the game. 



Game XXI. shows the importance of retaining the command of 
the enemy's plain suit. The game was supplied— like the two last — 
by Mr. Lewis. 



112 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXI L 

THE HANDS. 



p( HearU—K.^, 6, 3. 
^\ Spades— 9, 8. 



Hearts— K, 5. 
Spades — A, Q, Kn, 
6, 4. 

Diamonds— 9, 8, 7. 
^ Clubs— 10, 5, 3. 



. ( Hearts— q,, 9, 7. 
\ Spades— K, 10. 



Diamonds — Q, Kn, 2. 
Clubs— K, Q, Kn, 9, 7. 



B 


Hearts— K, 10, 8, 4, 1 


Tr. fla 


3. 


Y Z 


Spades— 7, 5, 3, 2. ^ 
Diamonds — K, 6, 5. 
Clubs— A. 


A leads. 





z 



Diamonds— A, 10, 4, 3. 
Clubs— 8, 6, 4, 2. 



/Sc<?re;— J. J?, 0; F^, 0. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


m 


D7 


DKn 


DKg 


2. 


H7 


HA 


H2 


H4 


3. 


H9 


H5 


H6 


HKg 


4. 


HQ 


C3 


HKn 


H3 


5. 


DA 


D8 


D2 


D5 


6. 


C2 


C5 


CKn 


CA 


7. 


SIO 


SKn 


S8 


S2 


8. 


SKg 


SA 


S9 


S3 


9. 


C4 


SQ 


C7 


S7 


10. 


C6 


S6 


C9 


S5 


11. 


D4 


S4 


CQ 


D6 


12. 


C8 


CIO 


CKg 


H8 


13. 


DIO 


D9 


DQ 


HIO 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads from his best suit. 

2. Having five trumps, Z leads 
the penultimate. 

4. The third round is fortunate 
for T Z. T discarding a Club, 
and A having led Diamonds, Z 
knows that his partner's suit 
must be Spades. 

6. A knows this also, and 
therefore leads Clubs. It would 
have been better, as it turned 
out, if he had kept to his own 
suit. 

7. Z, having four cards of his 
partner's suit, leads the lowest. 
Z finesses the Knave, of course. 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



113 



8. noting the fall of the cards, perceives that his seven v^ill be 
in his partner's way. For neither A nor B have any more cer- 
tainly not holding the Queen, or he would not have let F's Knave 
make at trick 7). Thus, if Y leads Queen at trick 9, and Z throws 
his five, he will have to take the fourth trick in Spades, and a trick 
in Diamonds will go to the enemy. 

9. Z, therefore, throws his seven to F's lead of the Queen. But 
Y should not have led the Queen. He can count the Spades as well 
as Z, and knowing the second best and a small one were with Z, he 
should have led the four, to make his partner's play as simple as 
possible. Never leave to partner a point of strategy to which you can 
attend yourself. 

10, 11, 12, 13. The rest of the game plays itself. 



Game XXII. illustrates the necessity of giving up the command 
in your partner's suit. It also shows the importance of care in not- 
ing the fall of the small cards. 



114 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST* 



GAME XXIIT. 

THE HANDS. 



^ j Hearts— K, 10, 6. 4. 
^(Spades— 2. 



r Hearts— S. 

Spades — A, K, 10, 
9, 7, 6, 4. 

Diamonds — 3, 2. 
I Clubs— 7, 4, 3. 



. ( Hearts— Q, Kn, 9, 7 
^ \ Spades— Q, Kn, 5. 



Diamonds— K, Q, 10, 4. 
Clubs— A, 8, 6, 5. 





B 




Tr. m. 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



Hearis—K, 8, 5, 2. 
Spades— 8, 3. 
Diamonds — A, 9, 8, 
7, 6, 

Clubs— K, 2. 



Diamonds— Kn, 5. 
Clubs— Q, Kn, 10, 9, 

Score:— A B,^; YZ,2, 



Note.— The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A plays as if at the score 
*'Love all." If his partner has 
an honor (and the odds are in 
favor of B's having one honor at 
least), A B only vrant five tricks 
to win. A defensive rather 
than a forward game is there- 
fore indicated. 

2. B cannot tell whether A has 
led from strength or length in 
Hearts. But Z'b play of the five 
shows A had not led from five 
Hearts. The presumption, as T 
renounces, is that A had four 
Hearts, two honors. T, regard- 
ing strength in trumps as declared 
against his side, discards the pe- 
nultimate of his long suit. 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


111 


H3 


HKg 


H2 


2. 


HKn 


S6 


H4 


H5 


3. 


CQ 


C3 


C5 


CKg 


4. 


H9 


C4 


H6 


H8 


5. 


C9 


C7 


CA 


C2 


6. 


D5 


D2 


DKg 


DA 


7. 


HQ 


D3 


HIO 


HA 


8. 


S5 


S9 


S2 


S8 


9. 


SKn 


SKg 


C6 


S3 


10. 


SQ, 


SA 


D4 


D6 


11. 


DKn* 


SIO 


C8 


D7 


12. 


CIO 


S7 


DIO 


D8 


13. 


CKn 


S4 


DQ 


D9 



t^ORTY ILLUSTBATIVE GAMES. 



115 



8. A is wise, but not in time. 

4. Z draws two for one, keeping up the Ace, as he has only one 
other card of re-entry, and A is presumably strong in plain suits. 
The Queen, ten, and nine of trumps being all unplayed, Z knows 
he can gain nothing by leading Ace. Y, seeing Z is not without 
trump strength, and noting, too, that their case is almost hopeless 
unless he can bring in his Spades, discards now from A's suit — not 
from Diamonds, as he cannot tell whether he may not have to lead 
them to A more than once. 

5. A B make their fourth trick; YZ must now make all the rest 
to save game. 

6. B throws away the game through sheer inattention (to the score 
and play both). He knows A has the winning Clubs, and that Z has 
but one trump left: for A could not have led trump seven from 
Queen, Knave, seven, only. 

7. Z, of course, draws the remaining trumps, and leads his best card 
in his partner's suit. F makes a deep finesse; not so deep as it looks 
though, for Ay having shown no strength in Diamonds, is almost 
certain, since he led trumps, to hold Queen and Knave in Spades. 
Apart from this, it would be a question of probability— viz. , whether 
it is more likely that B holds Knave or Queen, in which case A B 
win, or whether, if Y plays King, the Ace will draw both Queen 
and Knave, and unless this happen A B win equally. The finesse 
comes off, and 

10, 11, 13, 18. Y Z make the remaining tricks, and win. 



Game XXIII. illustrates the importance of playing to the score. 



116 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXI Y. 

THE HANDS. 



p j Hearts— A., Q, 10, 6. 
^ \ Spades— Q, 10, 8. 



Hearts — 5, 4. 
Spades — A, Kn, 6. 
Diamonds — Q, Kn, 
9, 8, 5. 
t Clubs— 4, 3, 2. 



j Hearts—^, 7. 

\ Spades— 9, 7, 5, 4. 



Diamonds — A, 3. 
Clubs— A, K, Kn, 8. 





B 




Tr. H8. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts — K, Kn, 8, 
3, 2. 

Spades— K, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — K. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 7, 5. 



Diamonds— 10, 7, 6, 4, 2. 
Clubs— Q, 6. 



Score : — Four all. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


D4 


D5 


DA 


DKg 


2. 


H7 


H4 


H6 


H2 


3. 


H9 


H5 


HA 


H3 


4. 


C6 


C2 


CKg 


C5 


5. 


CQ 


C3 


CA 


C7 


6. 


S4 


C4 


CKn 


C9 


7. 


DIO 


DKn 


D3 


S2 


8. 


D2 


DQ 


C8 


SKg 


9. 


D6 


D9 


S8 


H8 


10. 


S5 


SA 


SIO 


S3 


11. 


D7 


D8 


SQ 


CIO 


12. 


S7 


SKn 


HIO 


HKn 


13. 


S9 


S6 


HQ 


HKg 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads penultimate of his 
long suit. Queen lies with Y ; 
three with B, unless Yis signal- 
ling {A alone knows this). Z 
has probably no more. 

2. B knows that probably Z 
has no more Diamonds, while 
the two has not appeared. But 
there is a strong probability that 
A has led from a five-card suit 
(since ten Diamonds lie between 
A and Y). It is, therefore, not 
likely that Y has begun a signal. 
Of course, Z may be signalling 
from King, Queen, but this is 
unlikely, 

3. We doubt whether A 
should have returned his part- 
ner's lead of trumps. Strength 
in trumps is manifestly divided 
between B and Z: and very 
great strength, for nine trumps 
lie in these two hands. A 



FOETY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



117 



knows, therefore, that though B may have been strong enough to lead 
trumps, Z may be stronger. A puts 5 in a bad position by return- 
ing trumps. He would have done better to lead Club Queen, in the 
hope that B may be strong in Clubs. This would have won : though 
that proves nothing. Two tricks were already made. Three more 
would have been made in Clubs. A would have made the sixth 
trick by ruffing Clubs ; and the Ace of trumps would have won the 
odd trick and the game. After trick 3, as played, B knows that Y 
has no more trumps, nor A (note the trump card). Z knows, also, 
that neither A nor Y have any more trumps. 

4. B wisely gives up trumps. 

5. After this B knows the fourth round in Clubs must go to the . 
enemy. 

6. A and B now want only one trick to win, and it looks as if 
they must get it. 

7. B leads J.'s suit. 

8. Why should not Z ruff, leading Spade King, and then a small 
one? Or he might have discarded Club ten. [The second best 
trump lies with B, so that if Z has to lead trumps, Y Z must lose. 
The King of Spades is absolutely useless to Z; for if he takes a trick 
with it the enemy must make a trick in trumps and the game. If 
A B have the Ace, the game is gone any way. If Y has the Ace and 
wins the King with it, Y Z may still win ; but how apt Y would be 
not to win his partner's King ! Therefore, to simplify his partner's 
play as much as possible, to ''leave no point of strategy to partner 
to which he can attend himself," Z throws away his useless King.] 

9. Z should have discarded a Club. Y would have gone on with 
Diamonds. If Fhad not held the best Diamond after trick 9, Z's 
play here would have lost the game. [But now another danger lurks 
in store for Z and his partner. Z has got rid of one winning card 
too many, but he still has another, his third trump. If Y makes the 
ninth trick, Z must win the tenth or eleventh trick (it matters not 
which) and lose the game. Therefore, Z plays the grand coup : he 
trumps his partner's winning Diamond.] 

10. Z leads losing Spade, and thus enables his partner, after win- 
ning trick 11 — 

13. To lead up to Z 's tenace, giving Y Z the odd trick and the 
game. 



Game XXIY. is from Cavendish. It illustrates the grand coup ; 
but there were simpler ways of winning the game, as shown. Cav- 
endish's reasoning is presented in the bracketed notes. ' ' Mogul " 
pointed out the incorrectness of the play at tricks 8 and 9, 



118 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXV. 

THE HANDS. 



P j Hearts— 'Kn, 9, 8, 6, 3, 2. 
j Clubs— Q, Kn, 6, 5. 



Hearts — none. 
Clubs—A, 10, 9, 7, 

4, 3, 2. 
Diamonds— Q, Kn, 
9, 7. 
les— A, Q. 



( Hearts — A. 
j Clubs-8. 



Diamonds — 4, 3. 
Spades— 5. 





B 




Tr.m. 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



Hearts — K, Q, 10, 1 
7, 5, 4. 

Clubs— K. 
Diamonds— K, 2. 
les— Kn, 8,7,4. 



Diamonds— A, 10, 8, 6, 5. 
Spades— K, 10, 9, 6, 3, 2. 



/Sb<?re .• — Three all. 



Note.— -The 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


S6 


s^ 


S5 


S7 


2. 


C8 


CA 


C6 


CKg 


3. 


DA 


D7 


D4 


BKg 


4. 


S2 


SA 


H3 


S4 


5. 


HA 


C2 


H2 


H7 


6. 


SKg 


C3 


D3 


S8 


7. 


D5 


DKn 


H6 


D2 


8. 


D6 


C4 


CQ 


H4 


9, 


S3 


C7 


H8 


HKg 


10. 


D8 


C9 


H9 


HQ 


11. 


S9 


D9 


HKn 


H5 


12. 


DIO 


CIO 


CKn 


HIO 


13. 


SIO 


DQ 


C5 


SKn 



led card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads the antepenulti- 
mate. Z begins a signal. 

2. Y properly leads the Ace 
of his long suit. B begins a 
signal. 

3. Y changes his suit. To 
force his partner by continuing 
Clubs would be contrary to an 
important Whist principle, and 
manifestly dangerous. B begins 
to signal in diamonds. 

4. Z completes his signal, but 

5. B properly leads trumps, 
despite the signal, having held 
six originally. The chances are 
against Z holding more than five, 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



119 



and B is leading through his strength. Z signals in trumps after 
opponent's lead, and plays the antepenultimate. He, as it were, 
shouts his strength in trumps. 

6. A'b not returning trumps may not, after Z*s play at trick 5, 
mean that he has none left. But to all the others it should be clear 
that the chances are he has none. Y rightly discards a Club, as B 
holds both the best. Z knows Y's suit. 

7. If A leads a spade here, forcing his partner, and B then un- 
wisely resumes the trump lead, Y Z will make two by tricks (for Z 
can safely finesse trump 10). But if B, being so forced, force in re- 
turn with Club Queen, Y Z will only make the odd trick. A rightly 
leads a diamond, not only to avoid (if possible) forcing his partner, 
but because he leads through F's strength. 

8. B properly refrains from leading trumps again. 

The rest of the game plays itself ; Y Z cannot prevent A B from 
making one more trick. 



Game XXY. illustrates the antepenultimate. 



120 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXYL 

THE HANDS. 



7j ( Spades— 'Kn, 10, 
^ \ Hearts— A, Q, 8, 5. 



" Spades — K, 2. 
Hearts— Kn, 10, 4, 
2. 

Clubs— Q, Kn, 6, 5. 
Diamonds— K, 6, 5. 



J j Spades— K, Q, 8, 7. 
^ ( Hearts— K, 9, 3. 



Clubs— 10, 4. 
Diamonds — A, 10, 8, 4. 





B 




Tr. S3. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



/^i}<^(?6«— 9, 6, 4, 3. 
Hearts— 7, 6. 
Clubs— A, K, 2. 
Diamonds — Kn, 9, 
7,2. 



Clubs— 9, 8, 7, 3. 
Diamonds— Q, 3. 

Score .•— Love all. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


C9 


C5 


C4 


CKg 


2. 


D3 


DKg 


DA 


D2 


3. 


C3 


C6 


CIO 


CA 


4. 


H3 


HIO 


HQ 


H7 


5. 


S7 


SK^ 


SKn 


S3 


6. 


C7 


CQ 


SIO 


C2 


7. 


SQ 


S2 


S5 


S4 


8. 


SA 


D5 


D4 


S6 


9. 


HKg 


H2 


H5 


H6 


10. 


S8 


D6 


D8 


S9 


11. 


DQ 


H4 


DIO 


D7 


12. 


H9 


HKn 


HA 


D9 


13. 


C8 


CKn 


H8 


DKn 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. The score being at love, A 
would have been justified, we 
think, in leading a trump, not- 
withstanding the weakness of his 
hand outside trumps. Still there 
are valid reasons for opening his 
longest suit ; and on the whole it 
was, perhaps, the safer course. 
With J.'s card in Clubs, too, it 
was not unlikely that the suit 
would be established at the third 
round. A knows that the two is 
with Z, unless F or ^ is signal- 
hng. 

2. Z opens his long suit. T 
does not hold the Queen. 

3. B should have led his own 
suit, notwithstanding the major 
tenace. He knows from his part- 
ner's lead, himself holding Club 
ten, that his Hearts are stronger 
than his partner's Clubs ; and, 
apart from that, the suit ii in- 
trinsically so strong that it was 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



121 



his duty to show it. But there are players who never will lead from 
a suit headed by Ace, Queen. The Club two is seen now to be with 
Z, eight and seven with A, Queen and Knave with Y. 

4. Z (Mr. J. Clay) has been blamed for discontinuing here his own 
suit. But there were good reasons ; although the event turned out 
unfavorably. He knew that the Diamond Queen was held by either 
A or B. If by then a Club lead from A would give B a ruff, likely 
enough to suit him, as Z holds four trumps himself. VLB holds the 
Queen, it is likely that, having no Clubs, he holds one or two more 
Diamonds, and that A holds no more. In this case there is danger of 
a cross-ruff. On the other hand, as A led from a weak suit of Clubs, 
and B did not lead Hearts, it looked more than likely that both were 
weaker still in Hearts, and therefore that Y held great strength in 
that suit. On the whole, though the question is one of probabilities 
only, Mr. Clay seems to us to have shown his usual judgment in lead- 
ing what he thought would have been his partner's suit. 

5. Having made his tenace, B might now, at least, have enlightened 
his partner as to the constitution of his hand. If he had led Ace of 
Hearts, Z, playing the six, would have shown he had no more. An- 
other lead of Hearts would either have forced Z, or if, as is probable, 
Z had refrained from ruffing, J.'s King would have made. Then a 
Club lead from A would have given B a ruff ; and a final Heart lead 
from B would have given A a ruff. A small trump lead from A 
would have given B a trick ; the next trick would have been made 
by^'s Ace, drawing the King; then the Queen would have made; 
and the game would have been won. And though it is not sufficient 
to point thus to results, we think there can be little room for doubt 
that the game should have been continued thus. But, like many other 
players, B, who would not lead from a long suit headed by major 
tenace, would not play from a suit led by an opponent, though it 
was clear the opponent had led from weakness. 

6. B should have ruffed with the five. Club two being certainly 
withZ. 

7. From this point to the end the play is very pretty. A can now 
place almost every card. He knows that Z has the winning trump 
and three Diamonds, probably headed by Knave. He knows that B 
holds the Heart Ace, Ythe Heart Knave (for Z can have no more), and 
trick 4 shows the Knave is not with B. The Knave of Clubs is with Y. 

10. Leading the losing trump is the only way to win. It compels 
Z to* lead Diamonds, while the command is with the enemy ; 

11. And thus, while Z cannot bring in his Diamonds, unless B and 
A make a double mistake {B discarding a Heart at trick 11, and A 
leading a Heart at trick 12), Y is forced either to discard a Heart, 
leaving B the full command, or his winning trump, leaving A to 
make his Club eight. 

12 and 13. J. and B make three by tricks, and the game. 



The above game is from the Westminster Pampers, and is interest- 
ing as one of the latest in which Mr. James Clay took part. 
9 



122 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXYIL 

THE HANDS. 



Hearts—^, 7. 
Spades — Q, 9. 



Hearts— 10, 5. 
Spades— K, 10, 5. 
Diamonds — Kn, 10, 
9 5 

Clubs— 8, 7, 5, 3. * 



. j marts— 9, 6, 4, 3, 2. 



Diamonds— K, 8, 6, 4, 3. 
Clubs— Kn, 9, 6, 4. 





B 




Tr. HKn. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts — A., K, Q, 
Kn. 

Spades— Kn, 7, 4. 
Diamonds — A, Q. 
Clubs— K, Q, 10, 3. 



es— A, 8, 6, 3, 2. 

Score:— A B,^) YZ,2. 



Diamonds — 7, 2. 
Clubs— A. 



Note.— The 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


S3 


S5 


SQ 


S7 


2. 


SA 


SIO 


S9 


S4 


3. 


S2 


SKg 


H7 


SKn 


4. 


H3 


H5 


H8 


HKn 


5. 


CA 


C2 


C4 


CKg 


6. 


H2 


HIO 


C6 


HQ 


7. 


H4 


C5 


C9 


CQ 


8. 


S8 


C7 


D3 


C3 


9. 


S6 


C8 


D4 


CIO 


10. 


H6 


D5 


D6 


HKg 


11. 


H9 


D9 


CKn 


HA 


12. 


D2 


DIO 


D8 


DA 


13. 


D7 


DKn 


DKg 


DQ 



led card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A treats the suit as if it were not 
headed by the Ace, aud leads the pe- 
nultimate. Z, with his grand hand, com- 
mences a signal. 

2. B, who can open nothing to advan- 
tage, returns the suit in the hope of 
making a small trump. Z completes 
his signal. 

3. A develops the penultimate upon 
the third round, leaving his partner to 
draw the proper inference. 

4. The lead through the signal is 
here forced. A must have numerical 
strength in trumps to play as he did. 
A knows by the play of the eight that 
B has no other trump. A echoes, not- 
withstanding the weak lead of trumps 
and the signal. 

5. Z clears his suit before continuing 
trumps. The game seems to him a cer- 
tainty. 

6. A leads a trump to draw two for 
one. B is in some difficulty about the 
discard, as Z has declared strength iu 



FOETY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



123 



trumps, bat prefers to discard a Club, as A must have also numerical strength in 
trumps. Z, by the fall of the cards, can count three trumps and two Spades in 
^'s hand. 

7. Trifling with the game. He should here have led the two best trumps, and, 
leaving A with the long trump, then have played Club Queen, in which event he 
must have won the game. 

8. A cannot risk playing another trump. If the trumps are both in Z^s hand, A 
can never get the lead again. He therefore proceeds with his Spade suit. Y dis- 
cards a Club to inform his partner he has not the Knave. Z takes advantage of this 
information and refuses to trump, trying, though in vain, to recover his position. 

9. A continues with the last Spade, and as Y discards another Club, .Zkndws the 
position of the Knave, and Discards Club ten, hoping to tempt A to lead a Dia- 
mond, 

10. A, of course, plays the losing trump, and throws the lead into Z^s hand, and 
B makes his Diamond King. A and B make two by cards and the game, a result 
which would have been absolutely impossible if either one or other of the conven- 
tional leads had been adopted. The game is another instance of what so fre- 
quently occurs at Whist— that a player endeavors to make more tricks than are 
necessary to win the game. 



Game XXVII. was sent me, with the notes, by Mr. F. H. Lewis. He added the 
following valuable remarks : 

" Some mouths ago there was a very able discussion in the Field upon the 
policy of leading Ace, originally, from Ace to four. There was, of course, the ob- 
jection that such a lead simulated the lead of Ace from Ace to five or more. On 
the other hand, some writers gave their experience that by leading a small card, 
from Ace to four, they had frequently not made a trick in the suit, the first trick 
having been won by the adversaries, and the Ace trumped upon the second round. 
I took no part in the discussion, but I may say, en passant, that I am in favor of 
leading a small card from Ace to four originally, and also in the course of the 
hand, unless, in the latter case, the play of the previous suits has shown an irregu- 
lar division of the cards, in which event the Ace might be in danger. I am in favor 
of leading . a small card as above, because I am in favor of uniformity at Whist. 
I lay no stress whatever upon the argument that uniformity gives information 
to the adversaries as well as to the partner. 

"Success at Whist depends upon the faculty of combination, and the rapidity and 
accuracy with which correct inferences can be drawn from the fall of the cards; 
and if information is to be withheld because the adversaries may make use of it 
for the purposes of their strategy, the whole science of the game is gone. But 
there may be, and frequently is, what I call an abuse of uniformity ; where, in or- 
der that his hand may be counted or his cards known, a player will, under all con- 
ditions and without reference to the score, play according to conventional rule. 
Good players will, however, frequently deviate from recognized play, and indulge 
in what I hope I may be permitted to call the common-sense of Whist. 

" To illustrate the last observation, I send you a game in Avhich I played A. It 
will be observed that I had Ace to five and did not lead the Ace, and that I had five ; 
trumps and did not lead one. Both conditions were combined in my hand which j 
mii^^ht have induced one set of players to lead a trump, notwithstanding the Knave X 
turned, and another set to lead the Ace of the suit. In my judgment, either play, 
although in the direction of uniformjiy, would have been bad Whist— taking the 
'iCore into consideration," /' 



124 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST, 



GAME XXVI 11. 

THE HANDS. 



P J Spades— K, K, 9, 7, 4. 
^ \ Hearts— 5, 2. 



^ Spades— 10, 6. 
Hearts— K, Q, Kn, 
10. 

Clubs— 7, 4. 
Diamonds— K, 9, 7, 



J j Spades — 3, 2. 
^ ( Hearts— A, 4, 3. 




Clubs— 8, 5, 2. 
Diamonds — 4, 3, 2. 



Spades — Kn, 8, 5. 
Hearts— 9, 8, 7, 6. 
Clubs— A, 3. 
Diamonds — Q, Kn, 
10, 5. 



Clubs— K, Kn, 10, 9, 6. 
Diamonds— A, 8. 



Score : — Love all. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads from the lowest of 
his long head sequence, that B 
may play the Ace if he has it, 
and so get out of the way. B 
begins a signal. It is true, he 
has no strength outside trumps, 
but Jl's lead implies great 
strength in Clubs. As original 
leader, A would not lead the 
best of a short suit, and whether 
the nine is the lowest of four- 
card suit, or the penultimate. As 
Club suit must be very strong. 
Z has nothing between eight and 
Ace. 

2. B again begins a signal. 

3. The signal is completed. B 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


C9^ 


C4 


C8 


CA 


2. 


DA 


D6 


D4 


DQ 


3. 


CKg 


C7 


C2 


C3 


4. 


S3 


S6 


SKg 


S5 


5. 


S2 


SIO 


SA 


S8 


6. 


H3 


SQ 


S4 


SKn 


7. 


HA 


HKg 


H2 


H6 


8. 


CQ 


D7 


C5 


H7 


9. 


CKn 


D9 


H5 


H8 


10. 


CIO 


HIO 


D2 


D5 


11. 




HKn 


D3 


H9 




— 








12. 


D8 


DKg 


S7 


DIO 


13. 


H4 


HQ 


S9 


DKn 



POETY ILLUSTBATIYE GAMES. 



125 



having, for reasons not obvious, signalled with the eight instead of 
the five, A might infer that Z holds the five, and that therefore he 
cannot be led to in Clubs by his partner. F would form the same 
inference, for it is clear to all that A led from a quint to King, and 
the six of Clubs ought not to be with B. 

6. The two remaining trumps are with B. Theoretically, A should 
have discarded a Diamond; but it is not a matter of much impor- 
tance. For if A gets a lead, he must make all his Clubs, and B the 
remaining tricks with trumps. 

7. F falls into a fatal error. A single trick will save the game, 
and a single trick in Diamonds is almost certain, while probably 
two may be made. On the contrary, if A hold the Ace of Hearts, 
A and B are bound to win. 

8 to 13. A makes all his Clubs^ B the two remaining tricks with 
his trumps, and J. ^ make five by tricks. 

Note on F's Play at Trick 7. — Fknows that four winning 
Clubs are with J.; two long trumps with 5 ; KnavB, ten, and an- 
other Diamond (at least) with Z. He has reason to think that B has 
no Club, and that (from his discard) A either has two Diamonds or 
none ; also, perhaps, that Heart Ace is with B, unless B signalled 
with absolutely no strength outside trumps. In any case, if B holds 
but one Diamond, leading Diamond King saves the game ; whereas, 
if A holds Heart Ace, leading a Heart is the one (apparently) sole 
way of losing it. Had B no Club, it would still have been wrong to 
lead Hearts. 



The above game, taken from an old number of the Westminster 
Papers, illustrates the important principle that the first thought of 
I ' the weaker hands should be to save the game. 



126 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXIX. 

THE HANDS. 



p j Hearts— K, 9, 8, 7. 
^ I Clubs— Kn, 9, 5, 4. 



Diamonds— Q, 5, 2. 
Spades — Q, 9. 



Hearts — Kn, 10, 6, 

5, 4. 

Clubs— Q, 6. 
Diamonds — A, K, 

6, 4. 
Spades— K, 10. 





B 




Tr. HQ. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts — Q, 3. 
Clubs— A, K, 10, 8, 
7, 3 

Diamonds — 10, 9. 
Spades— 8, 7, 3. 



A j Hearts— A, 2. 
] Clubs— 3. 



Diamonds— Kn, 8, 7, 3. 
Spades— A, Kn, 6, 5, 4, 2 



Score : — Four all. 



NoTE.^ — The imderlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1 and 2. Y and B hold no 
more Spades, and A holds the 
three lowest at least. 

3. Leading trumps when the 
score is ''Four all " is not gener- 
ally advisable. In the present 
case Y should have led Dia- 
monds — King, then Ace, then a 
little one; this his partner would 
have ruffed, leading King and 
Ace of Clubs, and then a little 
one, which Y would have ruffed 
(unless^ played his trump Ace); 
then another Diamond lead would 
have forced the game, whether B 
played his trump King or not. 
This was the right line of play at 
the score. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


SA 


SIO 


S9 


S8 


2. 


S2 


SKg 


SQ 


S7 


8. 


HA 


H4 


H7 


HQ 


4. 


SKn 


mo 


D2 


S8 


5. 


H2 


H5 


H8 


H8 


6. 


C2 


C6 


C4 


CKg 


7. 


S4 


CQ 


C5 


CA 


8. 


DKn 


DKg 


D5 


DIO 


9. 


D3 


DA 


DQ 


D9 


10. 


D7 


D6 


C9 


C3 


11. 


D8 


D4 


CKn 


C7 


12. 


S6 


H6 


H9 


C8 


13. 


S5 


HKn 


HKg 


CIO 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



127 



4. A (the Editor of the Westminster Papers) rightly forces Y, and 
B plays well in passing the trick. The command in trumps thus 
reverts to him. 

5. B safely plays the eight, the Knave being certainly with 7". 

7. Z sees that the tenace in Clubs remains with B; and, apart from 
the discard at trick 4, he knows that B is weak in Diamonds. F's 
play at trick 4 shifted the trump strength, and B properly therefore 
discarded from his weakest suit in playing to that trick. 

8. As the cards actually lie, a Club lead here would have won the 
game, or rather have shown Y an easy course to win. But Z, our 
skilful correspondent, Mr. Lewis, would have played very ill — and 
therefore yery unlike himself — had he led a Club here. He sees 
that the only chance left is that Y may be strong in Diamonds, but 
he has no just reason for supposing Y quite so strong as he is. 
The proper course is to lead through A, B being certainly weak in 
Diamonds. Thus Y gets the best chance of making two tricks in 
Diamonds, and winning. 

But (8, 9, and 10) F makes his two tricks in Diamonds, and has 
the game in his hands, yet throws it away. He knows certainly 
from Z 's play at trick 9 that the winning Diamonds are with A, 
and should have been able to form a shrewd guess that both B's 
Clubs cannot be winning ones, or Z would not have played as he 
did. At any rate, the only chance of saving and winning the game 
lay here. Leading a Diamond at trick 10 was handing the game 
over to the enemy. 



Game XXIX. , from the Westminster Papers, shows the disadvan- 
tage often arising from leading trumps at the score " Four all." 



128 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXX. 

THE HANDS. 



B 



-A, Kn, 10, 9, 2. 
Hearts — 5, 4. 



Clubs— 5, 4. 
Diamonds — Q, 9, 6, 4. 



Spades — 6, 5, 3. 
Hearts — A, K, Kn, 

10, 9, 3, 2. 
Clubs— Q, 9. 
Diamonds — A. 





B 




Tr. S8. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Spades— K, 8, 7. 
Hearts — Q. 
Clubs— K, 8, 7, 6, 3. 
Diamonds — Kn, 10, 
3, 2. 



yz 



4 j Spades — Q, 4. 
^ 1 Hearts— 8, 7, 6. 



Clubs— A, Kn, 10, 2. 
Diamonds — K, 8, 7, 5. 

Score .-—Four all. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A should have led a Club. 
Fhas no more Diamonds. 

3. Z should have discarded a 
Club. His head sequence was 
worth guarding. 

4. Y holds all the remaining 
Hearts — four. 

5. A knows that the Queen is 
with B; and he can infer almost 
certainly from Z's discard that 
B holds one more Diamond at 
least, in which case, 

6. Diamond 8 should not have 
been discarded, but the King; 
for the King unguarded could 
only block ^'s Diamonds. But 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


D5 


DA 


D4 


D2 


2. 


H6 


HKg 


H4 


HQ 


3. 


H7 


HA 


H5 


D3 


4. 


H8 


HKn 


S9 


SKg 


5. 


D7 


S3 


D6 


^ DKn 


6. 


D8 


HIO 


SIO 


C3 


7. 


S4 


S5 


SA 


S7 


8. 


SQ 


S6 


S2 


S8 


9. 


CIO 


CQ 


C4 


C6 


10. 


DKg 


H9 


SKn 


C7 


11. 


C2 


H2 


DQ 


DIO 


12. 


CKn 


H3 


D9 


C8 


13. 


CA 


C9 


C5 


CKg 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



129 



probably M this stage A did not feel sure that he might not want a 
re-entering card later. 

9. A should have led his Diamond King before the Club ten. He 
knows that Fhas two Clubs and the three long Hearts; that JB has 
the long trump and the Diamond Queen. Now, it matters not 
whether B has three Clubs or two Clubs and another Diamond : A B 
must win on the line indicated, making one trick in Diamonds, two 
in Clubs, and one with the long trump. 

10. Here, says the Editor of the Westminster Papers, *'the game 
is evidently lost unless A discards the Diamond King; this is almost 
the only point in the game ; and yet, simple as it is, how many play- 
ers will persist in keeping such a card ; nay more, will scold their 
partner for throwing it away if it should happen to turn out of no 
avail." A, however, only simplified his partner's play by throwing 
away the Diamond King. Had he retained it, 5's reasoning, when 
about to lead at trick 11, would have run thus: We must make 
all tkree tricks; a trick in Diamonds is certain: but it is equally 

i certain that unless A can make two tricks in Clubs we are lost : he 
j certainly has not both Ace and King, or he would neither have led 
Diamonds originally nor Club ten at trick 9 ; but any way, if he 
has these cards, we win; if he has not, we can only win by my lead- 
ing up to him in Clubs." Therefore B would have led a Club, and 
A would have made the three remaining tricks. A was right, how- 
over, in throwing the Diamond King. 



Game XXX. is from an old number of the Westminster Papers, 
where, however, it was carelessly annotated. 



130 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XX XL 

THE HANDS. 



p j Spades — A, 5, 2. 
^ 1 Hearts— 9, 2, 



Y 



Spades— K, 10, 9, 4, 
3. 

Hearts— A, 7, 6, 3. 
Clubs— 9. 

Diamonds— K, 4, 3. 




Clubs— A, Q, 8, 3, 3. 
Diamonds — A, Q, 2. 



Spades— S. 
Hearts— K, 5, 4. 
Clubs— 10, 7, 6, 5, 4. 
Diamonds— 9, 7, 6, 
5. 



-Q, Kn, 7, 6. 
Hearts— Q, Kn, 10, 8. 



Clubs— K, Kn. 
Diamonds— Kn, 10, 8. 



Score : — Four all. 
KoTE.— The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


F 


B 


Z 


1. 


HQ 


H3 


H2 


HKa; 


2. 


CKn 


C9 


C2 


C4 


3. 


S6 


S3 


SA 


B8 


4. 


SKn 


SKg 


S5 


H4 


5. 


SQ 


S9 


S2 


D6 


6. 


HKn 


HA 


H9 


H5 


7. 


S7 


SIO 


D2 


D5 


8. 


D8 


D3 


DQ 


D7 


9. 


CKg 


S4 


CA 


C5 


10. 


DIO 


D4 


DA 


D9 


11. 


H8 


H6 


CQ 


C6 


12. 


HIO 


H7 


C8 


CIO 


13. 


DKn 


DKg 


C3 





KOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A has Knave, ten, another, 
almost certain. Y passes, hav- 
ing length in the suit and five 
trumps. 

2. Z leads lowest of his five- 
card suit. This was before the 
''penultimate" signal was in- 
vented. Z sees that Y has no 
more Clubs; A B know that he 
can hold none unless it be the 
ten. 

3. A leads trumps, because, the 
score being at ''Four all," it is 
important to prevent the enemy 
from ruffing freely, as seems 
threatened. 

4. B, of course, returns the 
highest of two, so that 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



131 



5. A now finds 7 with two trumps left. He also finds he has 
played the adversaries' game. 

6, 7, and 8. The play here is simple enough. Y draws ^'s last 
trump, and leads what must be B's suit. It is the only chance of 
getting in Z's Clubs. The game at this point looks ill for Y Z. The 
one bit of blue sky is the certainty that neither 5 nor Z can have a 
Heart. If A can get a lead after F's long trump has been forced, 
the game is lost. 

9. The King falls, and F's hopes are strengthened. 

10. He throws the lead again into B's hand, and as 

11. B luckily fails to take advantage of his major tenace in Clubs, 
12, 13. Z makes the last two tricks, and YZ win. 



Game XXXI., from the Westminster Papers, shows how a game 
which seems lost may be saved by care to the last in placing the 
leads. 



132 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXXIL 

THE HANDS. 



Hearts — none. 
Spades— A, K, Q, Kn. 



Clubs— 9, 6, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — A, 6, 5, 3, 



r Hearts— A., K, 5, 3. 
J Spades — 9, 4. 
^ 1 Clubs— A,K,Q,Kn. 
[ Diamonds— K, 7, 4. 





B 




Tr. HI. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Hearts— Q,, Kn, 7, 
Spades— 10, 3. 
Clubs— 10, 8, 7, 5, 
Diamonds — 10, 9. 



-1 



Hearts— 10, 9, 8, 6, 4. Clubs— none. 

[es— 8, 7, 6, 5, 2. Diamonds— Q, Kn, 8. 

/Sci??'6.-— 4 ^, 3; YZ,1. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads the penultimate of 
his long weak suit rather than 
trumps. The lead is unsound. 
Y begins a signal. 

2. B leads the lowest of the 
head sequence to show A he 
holds the others. Y completes 
the sigoal. Neither Y nor Z has 
any more Spades. 

3. B cannot go on with 
Spades, since that would be 
leaving Z to ruff and Y to dis- 
card. He therefore opens his 
long suit. Z begins "the echo 
of the signal. " 

4. Z completes the echo. The 
Queen lies either with A or Z. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


S5 


S9 


SKn 


S3 


2. 


S2 


S4 


SQ 


SIO 


3. 


D8 


D7 


DA 


DIO 


4. 


DKn 


DKg 


D2 


D9 


5. 


H4 


H3 


D3 


HKn 


6. 


H8 


HKg 


C2 


H2 


7. 


H6 


H5 


SKg 


HQ 


8. 


H9 


HA 


SA 


H7 


9. 


mo 


CKg 


C3 


C4 


10. 


S8 


CKn 


C6 


C5 


11. 


S7 


CQ 


C9 


C7 


12. 


S6 


D4 


D5 


C8 


13. 


DQ 


CA 


D6 


CIO 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



133 



5. B discards from his long suit, strength in trumps being with 
the enemy. 

(). All the honors are with Y Z, who therefore win unless A B can 
make two by cards. As Y Z are sure of four tricks in trumps, and 
have already won a trick in a plain suit, the case looks almost hope- 
less, since one more trick will win the game for Y Z. B sees that 
the sole chance is that A may hold the long trump and be able with 
it to bring in his long Spades. He does not begin at once, however, 
to get out of the way. If he had allowed the seventh trick to pass 
before beginning to discard his big Spades the game would have 
been past saving. But he had a reason for waiting to the seventh 
trick. 

7. Y should at once have led Clubs. There is only one chance for 
A B, viz., that A, holding the winning Diamond, should remain with 
the long trump. If he does, then, as he has the three long Spades, 
he can have no Clubs, and will bring in his long suit by ruffing 
Clubs after the other trumps are out. But if he is forced at trick 7 
(and he cannot refuse the force) he is powerless to save the game. 

8. Y having blundered, Z follows suit. They thought the game 
so sure that no care was wanted. "A mere 'walk over,' " said Z, 
as he led; and so it was, only the walking was done by the other 
side. The discard of the Spade King, at trick 7, should have shown 
Y Z their danger. That was why .5 delayed the significant dis- 
cards. 

9,10,11,12,13. J. ^walkover. 



Game XXXII. shows how a game may be saved when the holders 
oi winning cards are over-confident. 



134 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXXI I L 

THE HANDS. 



■n j Clubs— A., 10, 8, 6, 4. 
^ \ Hearts— 10, 7, 3. 



Clubs— ^, 7, 2. 
Hearts— 6, 2. 



Diamonds — A, K, 
Q, Kn, 9, 3, 2. 



( Clubs— "K, 5, 3. 



Spades— 7. 

Diamonds— 10, 8, 5, 4. 





B 




Tr. CQ. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Clubs— q, Kn. ^ 
Hearts— K,Kn,5,4. | 
Spades— A, K, 6, 5, V Z 
2. 

Diamonds — 7, 6. 



j Hearts— A, Q, 9, 8. 

Score:—AB,0; YZ,0. 



i— Q, Kn, 10, 9, 4, 3. 
Diamonds — none. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


z 


1. 


SQ 


S8 


S7 


SKg 


2. 




H2 


H7 


H4 


3. 


S9 


D2 


D5 


SA 


4. 


H9 


H6 


H3 


H5 


5. 


CKg 


C2 


C4 


CKn 


6. 


C3 


C7 


CA 


CQ 


7. 


C5 


C9 


CIO 


D6 


8. 


HQ 


D3 


HIO 


HKn 


9. 


SKn 


D9 


D4 


S2 


10. 


SIO 


DKn 


D8 


S5 


11. 


HA 


DQ 


DIO 


HKg 


12. 


S3 


BKg 


C6 


S6 


13. 


S4 


DA 




D7 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. All know that A holds 
Knave, ten. Position of nine re- 
mains unknown to all except A. 
A knows that Y and B have no 
more Spades, unless one or other 
is signalling. 

2. A sees that Y has not been 
signalling, unless — which is un- 
likely— he held originally but 
two Spades, and a singleton in 
Hearts. B may be signalling. 
B knows th^t honors in Hearts 
are divided between A and Z. 

3. A leads the nine in order that 
his partner may know what Z 
already knows, that A holds quart 
minor, Y should have trumped 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



135 



even if he had been certain Z held the Ace. Why, discarding, he 
selected his splendid Diamond suit, it is impossible to divine. He 
may have had some vague idea of keeping a card wherewith to re- 
turn his partner's suit. But he should have seen how much better 
was the chance of bringing in his own suit after rufSng. B, who is 
certain that Z holds the Ace, very properly declines to ruff, that his 
partner's suit may be cleared. He sees further that Z will lead at a 
disadvantage. He commences another signal. 

4. Z would probably have led a Diamond, his partner being so 
weak in Hearts, but for F's discard. B sees that A holds Heart 
Ace. B completes his signal. Y holds now only Diamonds and 
trumps. 

5, 6, 7. A responds to his partner's signal and the enemy's teeth 
are carefully extracted. 

8. B gives his partner the lead, and 

9, 10, 11, 12, 13. The rest of the hand plays itself, A B making 
five by tricks. 



Game XXXIII. illustrates the importance of clearing partner's 
suit. 



136 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXXI Y. 

THE HANDS. 



^ \ Hearts— 10, 9, 3. 



' Spades — 8, 6. 
Hearts — Q, 4. 
Clubs— K, Q, 10, 9, 
2. 

Diamonds— K, 7, 6, 
2. 




. ( Spades— K, Kn, 9, 3. 
( Hearts— K, Kn, 7, 6, 5. 



Clubs— A, 7, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — Q, 10, 5. 



Spades — K, Q, 5, 4. 
Hearts— A, 8, 2. 
Clubs— Kn. 
Diamonds — A, Kn, 
9, 8, 4. 



Clubs— 8, 6, 3. 
Diamonds — 3. 



Z 



Score:— A B,^) YZ,d. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFEEENCES. 
1 . A leads the penultimate. 

3. A properly discards a Club, 
having ample strength in 
trumps. 

4. The fall of the ten in the 
previous trick leaves B with ei- 
ther Knave or Queen. F opens 
his strong suit of Clubs. 

5. B gives his partner another 
discard. 

6. The lead of trump through 
the honor is here forced. Z, 
having four trumps, passes, but he 
ought to have played the Queen, 
so as to get the lead on the second 
round. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


m 


H4 


H9 


HA 


2. 


D3 


D2 


D5 


DA 


3. 


C3 


DKg 


DIO 


D4 


4. 


C6 


CKg 


CA 


CKn 


5. 


C8 


D6 


DQ 


D8 


6. 


S3 


S6 


SIO 


S4 


7. 


SA 


S8 


S7 


SQ 


8. 


HKg 


HQ 


H3 


H2 


9. 


HKn 


C2 


HIO 


H8 


10. 


H7 


C9 


C4 


S5 


11. 


S9 


D7 


S2 


SKg 


12. 


SKn 


CIO 


C5 


DKn 


13. 


H5 


CQ 


C7 


D9 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



137 



7. B continues; the fall of the cards shows A that the small trump 
is with B. 

8. A now knows that he must continue his suit of Hearts. If he 
draws the third round of trumps, he is immediately forced, and 
leaves the long trump with Z, to enable him to bring in his Dia- 
mond. The fall of the Heart Queen enables A to see his way to the 
game, which now plays itself ; but it is a curious fact that the pe- 
nultimate of the original lead is, legitimately, the last card, and the 
winning one. 



Game XXXIY. was supplied (with the notes) by Mr. F. H. Lewis. 
It is the more interesting that the hands are so well matched. The 
strength of A B, however, is divided, while FZ's lies nearly all in 
^'s hands. Thus, I think, Z would have done well to lead trumps 
at trick 2, trusting to get some help from his partner. The game 
would then have opened as follows: 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


H6 


H4 


H9 


HA 


2, 


S3 


S8 


SIO 


S4 


3. 


HK 


HQ 


HIO 


H2(a) 


or 3. 


C6 


CQ 


C4 


C Kn (b) 


or 3. 


SA 


S6 


S2 


SQ(c) 



In case (a) it is obvious that A would be at a disadvantage. He 
would not force Y, the weak trump hand ; he could not know that 

: a lead of Ace Spade would draw F's last trump, and leave him, A, 
free to force Z, and he w^ould have no means of determining which 
of the other suits would turn out the best lead. In case (b), Y would 

ilead Spade six, and the cards falling would be those shown for 
trick 3. 

10 



138 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXXV. 



(Diamonds — 8, 6, 5. 
Clubs— 6, 5, 2. 
Hearts— A, 10. 
Spades— A, 8, 7, 6, 2. 



THE 


HANDS. 


9, 4. 

3. 


I 


s 




B 




Tr. D± 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



es — Kn, 3. 



Diamonds — 7, 2. 
Clubs- A, K, 8, 7. 
Hearts— K, 5, 3, 2. 
" " ;— 10, 4, 9. 



A j Diamonds — A, K, Kn, 3. 
^ 1 Clubs— 10, 4, 



Hearts— Kn, 9, 8, 6. 
Spades— K, Q, 5. 

Bcove:—AB,Z\ YZ,4:. . 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


D3 


D5 


DQ 


D2 


2. 


DKn 


D6 


D4 


D7 


3. 


DA 


D8 


D9 


H2 


4. 


DKg 


C2 


DIO 


S4 


5. 


SKg 


S2 


S3 


S9 


6. 


S5 


S6 


SKn 


SIO 


7. 


C4 


C5 


C3 


CKg 


8. 


CIO 


C6 


C9 


CA 


9. 


H9 


HA 


H4 


H3 


10. 


SQ 


SA 


CKn 


C7 


11. 


H6 


S8 


H7 


C8 


12. 


H8 


S7 


HQ 


H5 


13. 


HKn 


HIO 


CQ 


HKg 



NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1, A regards the game as won; 
because with the four honors 
nothing can save Y Z but mak- 
ing the odd trick, which with 
such cards as A and B hold be- 
tween them (to A's knowledge, 
after trick 1) seems unlikely. 

2. and 3. B has shown by the 
return of the small Diamond that 
he held four. But J. is a rather 
young player, who has not as yet 
learned duly to notice such points. 
Accordingly, 

4. A draws partner's last trump 
instead of the adversaries'. 

5. Y does not cover the King, 
as he sees it is important to win 
the third trick in Spades, 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



139 



0. Still Y passes the trick. Apart from the necessity of winning 
the third trick in Spades, th€re is a chance that Z may win the sec- 
ond. However, it is won by B. Observe that Z's discard at trick 3 
shows A that Hearts are Z's longest suit (trumps being declared 
against Y Z). 

8. Z is quite right, as the game and score stand, to secure a trick 
in Clubs before leading a Heart. Every trick has to be made to save 
game, so that retaining the King-card of opponent's suit would here 
be of small use. 

9, 10, 11, 12, 18. The rest of the game plays itself. F Z win the 
odd trick. 



Game XXXV. shows that a game should not be regarded as lost 
until it is won, nor vice versa. 



140 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXX VL 

THE HANDS. 



: Clubs— A, Kn, 10, 5, 4. 
Diamonds— 10, 5, 3. 



f Clubs— q, 2. 
Diamonds — Kn, 8, 
6,4. 

Hearts— K, Kn, 10, 
. 7, 2. 
s— K, 9. 



j Clubs— K, 8. 
( Diamonds— Q, 7, 2 



Hearts— Q, 9, 5, 4. 
Spades — 3. 



B 








(7^t^^>S— 9, 7, 


6. 3. 


Tr. CI. 


Diamonds - 


-A, K, 


y z 


Hearts — 8. 


9. 




Spades— A, 


8,6,5,4. 


A leads. 







Hearts— A. 6, 3. 
Spades— Q, Kn, 10, 7, 2. 



Note. — The 





A 


Y 


B 


z 


1. 


SQ 


SKg 


S3 


S4 


2. 


HA 


mo 


H4 


H8 


3. 


SKn 


S9 


D5 


SA 


4. 


D2 


D4 


D3 


DKg 


5. 


D7 


D6 


DIO 


DA 


6. 


DQ 


D8 


H5 


D9 


7. 


CKg 


C2 


C4 


C3 


8. 


C8 


CQ 


CA 


C6 


9. 


H3 


H2 


CKn 


C7 


10. 


H6 


H7 


C5 


C9 


11. 


S7 


DKn 


H9 


S5 


12. 


SIO 


HKn 


HQ 


S6 


13. 


S2 


HKg 


CIO 


S8 



led card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A rightly leads Queen, from 
Queen, Knave, ten, to five. 

2. B, holding Heart nine, knows 
that Z has no more Hearts. He 
knows also that T 's lead is from 
King, Knave, ten, and others, so 
that after this round F holds the 
major tenace in Hearts. 

3. B rightly refrains from ruff- 
ing, though he knows Z holds 
the Ace. Not only to save his 
own strength in trumps but to 
get his partner's suit cleared, he 
lets the trick go to Y Z. All the 
table knows that the remaining 
Spades lie between A and Z. B 
begins a late signal. His hand 



FORTy ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



141 



would not have justified an early one; but a late one is less im- 
perative. 

4. Z should have led through ^'s strength in Spades. B has in- 
dicated length in trumps, so that forcing him would have been good 
policy for Z, who holds four himself. 

6. B knows that Diamond Knave lies with Y; for since the ten 
has been already played, the Knave would have been in sequence 
with Z's nine, and would have been the right card for Z to have led 
had he held it. Clearly A does not hold it, or he would have played 
it as in sequence with the Queen and lower. 

7. A responds to his partner's signal with his best trump. 

9. B now knows that Z holds club nine and three Spades; that A 
holds a small Heart and three Spades, headed by the ten ; and that 
Y holds the long Diamond and major tenace in Hearts — A B want- 
ing three tricks to win. 

10. B does not capture Z's Club nine with his ten, for then he 
could make only two tricks; but, leading the small trump, lets Z 
win the trick, who must lead a Spade through ^'s major tenace. 

11, 12. A makes two tricks in Spades, 

13. And B one with his long trump. A B win two by cards and 
the game. 



Game XXXVI. illustrates the importance of inferences made as 
the cards fall. B knows that he can lose nothing by letting Z take 
the tenth trick, and may win, Z being obliged to lead through ^ 's 
strength. 



142 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXX VIL 

THE HAKDS. 



j Clubs^K, 9, 6, 2. 
Hearts— A, 5, 2. 



{ Clubs-q, 7, 5. 
Hearts— Q, 8, 4, 3. 
Diamonds— 10, 4. 
Spades—A, Q, Kn, 



Diamonds — A, Q, 6, 5. 
Spades— 10, 5. 



Tr. CL 

z 



Clubs— 8, 4, 3. ^ 
Hearts— K, 7. | 
Diamonds— K, Kn, )■ Z 

9, 7, 3. I 
Spades— 7, 3, 2. J 



. j Clubs— A, Kn, 10. 
( Hearts— Kn, 10, 9, 6. 

Score:—AB,S ; Y Z, 4. 



Diamonds — 8, 2. 
Spades— K, 8, 6, 4. 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A should have led his Heart 
Knave: Hearts are his best suit. 
B from his own hand and the 
fall of the cards infers that A 
has led from a long weak suit. 

3. B infers that the winning 
Hearts are probably with A. 

4. A makes an inexcusable 
finesse: and in trumps, led by 
his partner! B infers with con- 
fidence that the Ace lies with ei- 
ther Tor Z. 

5. It is a fair inference from 
Y's change of suit that he does 
not hold the trump Ace. But 
this is not yet certain. 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


.S4 


SKn 


S5 


S2 


2. 


H6 


H3 


H2 


HKg 


3. 


H9 


HQ 


HA 


H7 


4. 


CIO 


CQ 


C2 


C3 


5. 


D2 


DIO 


DQ 


DKg 


6. 


D8 


D4 


DA 


DKn 


7. 


CKn 


H4 


D6 


D7 


8. 


HKn 


H8 


H5 


C4 


9. 


S8 


SQ 


SIO 


S7 


10. 


S6 


SA 


D5 


S3 


11. 


SKg 


S9 


C6 


C8 


12. 


mo 


C5 


C9 


D9 


18. 


OA 


C7 


CKg 


D3 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



143 



6. B infers that A and Y have no more diamonds. Y certainly 
has none; therefore Z's Knave cannot have been the higher of the 
two left; it would therefore not have been led unless the highest of 
a sequence— that is, unless (ten having been played) Z held the nine. 
Hence A can have no more. 

7. B, very properly, forces his partner. It is now clear to him 
that Z holds the Ace of trumps. 

9. At the end of this round B threw up his hand. It seemed clear 
from the play that besides the Ace of Spades, 7 Z must hold the Ace 
of trumps : it was therefore apparently idle to continue the contest. 

10. B's Diamond is called. 

11. His smallest trump is called. 

12, 13. Y Z make two by cards, and win. 

Obviously B would have won the game had not J 's preposterous 
play deceived B utterly. But the game has another moral : 

Never throw up your cards while there is any possible chance of 
saving the game, even though that chance may be that your partner 
I has played very badly. Even a good player might through mishap 
have played as A did — either taking hold of the wrong card at trick 
4, or overlooking the Club Ace in sorting. Both would indicate 
great carelessness, but sometimes even good players are careless. 



The above amusing game was communicated by Pembridge to 
the Westminster Papers. It was described as showing "how to in- 
duce your partner to throw up his cards when the game is in his 
hands," 



144 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXX VI 11. 

THE HANDS. 

( Diamonds — Kn, 10. 



( Spades— 10, 9, 4, 3. 



" Diamonds — 3. 
Spades — Kn, 8. 
Clubs — K, Kn, 10, 

9, 7, 6, 5, 4. 
Hearts— Kn, 5. 



A j Diamonds — A, 7, 6, 5, 4. 
( Spades— 5. 



Clubs— Q, 8, 3. 
Hearts— K, 8, 7, 4. 





B 




Tr. DQ. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Diamonds — Q, ^ 

9, 8, 2. 
Spades— A, K, Q, 7, I ^ 

6, 2. 
Clubs — none. 
Hearts — Q, 6. 



Clubs— A, 2. 
Hearts— A, 10, 9, 3, 2. 

Score:—AB,(); T Z,% 



Note.— The 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 


1. 


D5 


D3 


DIO 


jPKg 


2. 


S5 


S8 


S3 


SKg 


3. 


D4 


SKn 


S4 


SQ 


4. 


HA 


H5 


H4 


H6 


5. 


H2 


HKn 


HKg 


HQ 


6. 


DA 


C4 


DKn 


DQ 


7. 


HIO 


C5 


H7 


m 


8. 


D6 


C6 


S9 


m 


9. 


D7 


C7 


C3 


D8 


10. 


C2 


C9 


SIO 


SA 


11. 


H3 


CIO 


H8 


S7 


12. 


H9 


CKn 


C8 


S6 


13. 


CA 


CKg 


CQ 


S2 



led card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A properly leads trumps 
from five; and in trumps it is 
better to lead the penultimate 
than the Ace. Z plays the King, 
because the Queen was turned 
up. 

3. B now knows that all the 
remaining Spades except the two 
he holds, or four spades, are with 
Z. Let us see what use he ivill 
presently make of his knowl- 
edge. 

4. Having been forced, A does 
not go on with trumps. He 
leads Ace from his five-card plain 
suit. 



rOETY ILLUSTKATIVE GAMES. 



145 



6. B leads trumps (though his partner has discontinued) because 
of the Queen turned up. In this B was right, as there is good reason 
for expecting that after this second round A would draw two trumps 
for one. But F, failing to follow suit, shows B'^ lead to have been 
unfortunate. 

8. B sees that Z means to draw out 4's last trump, and to bring in 
Spades, which make up the rest of Z's hand. But he himself holds 
second and third best. So he holds the command in the suit, and 
has nothing to do but to discard two small Clubs, suffer his Spade 
nine to fall to Z's Ace, and then, winning the next trick in Spades, 
bring in his partner's Hearts. Wherever Club Ace and King may- 
be, this course is absolutely sure, and three tricks must thus be made. 
But B craftily seizes on the only possible course by which every re- 
maining trick can be made over to Y Z. 

9, 10, 11, 12, 13. iB's triumph and A's discomfiture. 

To ''Pembridge" is due the theor}^ that 5's play in the above 
game was suggested by malignity. The theory seems supported by 
strong evidence, especially as we are told that B deliberated for two 
minutes before playing to trick 8. He cannot have been deliberating 
about his play, for there could be no manner of doubt about that. 
Clearly, a contest was going on between malignity on the one hand 
and the compunctious visitings of conscience on the other. Alas, 
that evil feelings should have prevailed at last ! 



The above game, from the Westminster Papers (by Pembridge), il- 
lustrates Whist Malignity, 



146 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XXXIX, 



THE HANDS. 



B 



Clubs— 10, 7, 6. 
Hearts— K, Kn, 7, 5, 4. 



r Clubs— Kn, 3, 2. 
J Hearts— A, 10, 9. 
] Spades— Q, 10, 5, 3. 
[ Diamonds— A, K, 3. 




A 



( Clubs— K, Q, 9, 4. 



Hearts— 6, 3. 



Score : 



Spades— 4. 

Diamonds— Kn, 10, 6, 2, 



Clubs— K, 8, 5. •] 
Hearts— Q, 8, 2. I 
Spades— Kn, 9, 6, 2. | ' 
Diamonds— 9, 8, 7. J 



Spades— A, K, 8, 7. 
Diamonds— Q, 5, 4. 

-.4^,1; rz,4. 



Note.— The 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 




S3 


S4 


S2 


2. 


SA 


S5 


D2 


S6 


3. 


H6 


H9 


HKg 


H2 


4. 


H3 


mo 


H4 


H8 


5. 


CQ 


CKn 


C6 


Co 


6. 


S7 


SIO 


C7 


S9 


7. 


C4 


HA 


H5 


HQ 


8. 


S8 


SQ 


CIO 


SKn 


9. 


D4 


DKg 


DKn 


D7 


10. 


DQ 


DA 


D6 


D8 


11. 


D5 


D3 


DIO 


D9 


12. 


C9 


C2 


HKn 


C8 


13. 


CA 


C3 


H7 


CKg 



led card wins trick. 
NOTES AND INFERENCES. 

1. A leads from his strongest suit. 

2. The fall of the cards, and the dis- 
card of two of Diamonds, the lowest of 
the suit, shows A that no one is signal- 
ling for trumps. 

3. A, having here two honors in 
trumps, might very well force his part- 
ner, but, having only six and three of 
Hearts, prefers to give his partner his 
suit. (See note (*) on next page.) 

4. B, although having no strength in 
trumps, is here quite justified in return- 
ing ttie Heart. If his partner has 
avoided forcing him, in consequence of 
weakness, the chances are that the game 
is lost. If, however, a cross-ruff can be 
secured, such a position would be most 
advantageous. 

5. Y sees that a cross-rnff must be se- 
cured. He has the tenace in Spades, the 
best Heart, an honor has been turned ; 
he has the command in Diamonds, and 
A has avoided forcing B. All this is too 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



141 



much for human nature, and he cannot resist a trump lead ; he therefore leads the 
highest of his three trumps. 

6. A is now in a position to force his partner advantageously. 

7. The cross-ruff; conveying also to ^'s mind, from the fall of the cards, that 
the two remaining Hearts are with B, 

8. A is in a position to give another force. 

9. B cannot lead one of his long Hearts, such play would be very bad, and ac- 
cordingly he leads the best of his remaining Diamonds, treating the suit as though 
he had originally but three. 

10. A now has the ten ace in trumps, but he requires three tricks to win the game. 
If he keeps the Queen of Diamonds he can make only two ; he, therefore, cleverly 
throws the Queen, taking the chance of his partner having the ten of Diamonds. 
The ftict being so, he secures four by cards and the game.* The rest of the hand 
plays itself 



The above game, with notes, was supplied by Mr. F. H. Lewis. It illustrates the 
question of "forcing" at Whist. Mr. Lewis appended the following instructive 
remarks : 

" When may I force my partner?" is a question frequently put. There are, un- 
doubtediy, many positions in practice where the thoughtful but inexperienced 
player finds himself in difficulty. It is easy enough to understand the reasonable- 
ness of forcing an adversary who has shown great strength in trumps, or a partner 
who has shown great weakness. But suppose, for example, as an original lead, a 
player were to lead from manifest weakness, an honor having been turned to his 
right, that which, in ordinary cases, appears to be an invitation for a force, would, 
in fact, amount almost to a direction to lead through the honor. But I will en- 
deavor to lay down the cases when a player, not having trump-strength, may, nev- 
ertheless, force his partner: {a) When, with no indication of strength, he asks for 
a force; (6) When the position shows a cross-ruff; (c) When the adversaries have 
signalled ; (d) To make the fifth or odd trick ; or to save the game, when the hand 
of the forcing player, or the development of the game, does not raise a high degree 
of probability that the necessary trick may otherwise be made. But an interest- 
ing point relating to the force is where the player, in a position to force, has trump- 
strength amply justifying it. It often happens that a player renounces to the lead 
of his partner, who, with ample trump-strength, has no strength in the then declared 
suit. If he forces, and the declared suit be not headed by Ace King, or King Queen, 
the result is, after a force, a lead up to ruinous weakness. No trick is gained by 
the force, for another trick is lost in the suit. If, however, the player gives his part- 
ner his declared suit, the adversaries may infer that he has no strength in trumps, 
and lead trumps to their disadvantage. 



If he had forced him, the game would, probably, have proceeded as follows : 





A 


Y 


B 


Z 




A 


Y 




Z 


3. 


S7 


SIO 


C6 


S9 


9. 


H6 


HIO 


H4 


H8 


4. 


H3 


H9 


H5 


H2 


10. 


C4 


HA 


H7 


HQ 


5. 


D4 


DK 


D6 


D7 


11. 


C9 


CKn 


CIO 


C5 


6. 


D5 


DA 


D 10 


D8 


12. 


CQ 


C2 


HKn 


C8 


7. 


DQ 


D3 


DKn 


D9 


13. 


C A 


C3 




CKg 


8. 


S8 


SQ 


C7 


SKn 













and the result would be two, instead of four, by cards. 



148 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



GAME XL. 

THE HANDS. 



j Diamonds — A, Q, 10, 8, 3. 
^ ( Clubs— K, 9, 5. 



Hearts— 9, 4. 
Spades — 8; 7, 5. 



f Diamonds — K, 9, 7, 
5. 

T \ Clubs— 8, 4, 3. 

Hearts— Q, Kn, 10. 
[ Spades— K, 9, 2. 





B 




Tr. DKn. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Diamonds — Kn . 
Clubs— A, Q. 
Hearts— K, 7, 6, 5, 
3, 2. 
[es — A, Q, Kn, 
10. 



A j Diamonds — 6, 4, 2. 

^ \ Clubs— Kn, 10, 7, 6, 2. Spades— 6, 4, 3. 



Hearts — A, 8. 
Spac 

Score:— A B, 4.', TZ,4^ 



Note. — The underlined card wins trick. 

NOTES AND INFEKENCES. 

2. It is a question whether Z should 
not opeu the Heart suit, but ^'s hand 
is not under consideration. 

3. B has called. 

5. A notes that B has the three of 
trumps. B can place all the remaining 
trumps. 

9. Z ought to lead the Knave of 
Spades, on which his partner should 
discard the eiglit of Clubs, when Y and 
Z win the game. A plays a masterly 
coup in trumping with the four. His 
firgument is as follows: — My partner, 
with his weak hand, would not have 
called for trumps unless he had at least 
five trumps, two honors. All the other 
trumps are in F's hand. I know my 
partner has the three of trumps, and as 
it is most probable that he has not Ace 
and King, or he would have continued 
trumps at Trick 6 instead of trying to 
give me the lead again, I shall most 
likely have to lead twice through Fin 
order to make every trick, which we re- 
quire to save and win the game. But' 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


C6 


C3 


CKg 


CA 


2. 


S3 


S2 


S7 


SA 


3. 


S4 


SKg 


S5 


SIO 


4. 


HA 


HQ 


H9 


H2 


5. 


D6 


D5 


DQ 


DKn 


6. 


C2 


C4 


C9 




7. 


S6 


S9 


S8 


SQ 


8. 


H8 


HIO 


H4 


HKg 


9. 


D4 


HKn 


D3 


H3 


10. 


D2 


D7 


D8 


H5 


11. 


CIO 


C8 


C5 


H6 


12. 


CKn 


D9 


DIO 


SKn 


13. 


-C7 


DKg 


DA 


H7 



A and B win the odd trick. 



FORTY ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES. 



149 



even then I shall fail if my partner has to lead trumps up to Y. I must therefore 
give my partner an opportunity of playing the grand coup with his three of trumps 
if he deems it advisable to do so. 

9 cont. B plays the grand coup, undertrumping his partner. If he discards the 
Club he loses the game. Though B plays extremely well, A's coup in trumping 
with the four is entitled to the palm. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES. 

6. A believes in the penultimate game. He drops the two of Clubs to this trick. 
Therefore there are at least three more Clubs in his hand. 

9. Z, knowing that there are three more Clubs in ^'s hand, knows also that A 
holds only two more trumps ; and if he has noted the card played by Fat trick 5, 
he can infer that both these trumps must be smaller than the five. It is evident, 
therefore, that in this illustrative hand A derives no advantage whatsoever from 
his use of the penultimate signal in Clubs. All that he does is that at a critical 
stage of the game he gives his adversary, detailed information as to the position 
of three of the remaining Clubs and two of the smallest trumps ; and, so far as we 
can see, ^'s public intimation as to these facts leaves Z without excuse for his 
lead of a Heart at the ninth trick, whereby he affords A and B the opportunity, of 
which they skilfully avail themselves, of pulling a lost game out of the fire. 

But further, A has dropped the eight of Hearts to the eighth trick, B the nine, 
and Fthe ten. Therefore the Knave of Hearts is marked in F's hand ; and both 
A and B are void of the suit. Moreover, B returned the nine of his partner's suit 
at the sixth trick, and hence he cannot have more than one Club remaining in his 
hand. Consequently, when Z leads to the ninth trick, he knows that B most prob- 
ably holds four of the remaining trumps, together with one Club, Therefore he 
may count F's hand to consist of the Knave of Hearts, together with three trumps 
and one Club. If that Club be the winning Club, Y and Z will win the odd trick 
whatever Z may now lead. The same thing is true if Y hold the King and ten of 
trumps. But if the winning Club be with A, Z's remaining chances of scoring the 
odd trick are that among his three trumps Y holds either the King or the ten and 
the nine. Hence, if Z lead the long Spade he gives Y the double chance, either of 
discarding in the event of his holding a losing Club, or, in the event of his holding 
the command of the Club suit, of overtrumping A. In other words, the lead of 
Z's long Spade places Y in the best possible position for winning the odd trick, 
while the lead of the Heart transfers to A and B the complete control of all the 
conditions under which they can save and win the game. 

Lastly, it needs no proof that at every stage of a game of Whist, and most of all 
at its most critical stage, the direction of the play ought to be left to the partner 
who has the greater trump strength. Hence, as the Knave of Hearts may be fairly 
assumed to be in F's hand after his lead of the Queen at the fourth trick, it is evi- 
dent that Z ought to have led a small Heart rather than his King of Hearts at the 
eighth trick. 



Game XL. was sent to the Field by Mr. N. B. Trist of New Orleans. Notes by 
*' Cavendish." Additional notes by the Whist Editor of the Australian. See 
Problems VIII. and IX., p. 1T6. 



I 



I 



i 



1] 



WHIST-WHITTLeGS, PARiaRAPHS, rROBLEMS, ETC, 



WHIST WHITTLINGS, PARAGRAPHS, 
PROBLEMS, Etc. 



Value of Good Play. — Many doubt whether good play really 
counts much at Whist. There is so much chance, unfortunately, in 
Whist as actually played (it might be immensely improved in this 
respect) that a casual observer, or one who w^atches play for only a 
few weeks, or even months, might very^well suppose that bad play- 
ers have quite as good a chance as the best players. But no one at 
all acquainted with the game practically can doubt that in the long- 
run good play must invariably get the better of bad play. Not a 
Whist evening passes but a practised player will note half a dozen 
cases or more in which tricks — sometimes two or three at once — 
have been lost by bad play; while not more than one or two cases 
will occur during the same time in w^hich bad play has, by an acci- 
dent, turned out well, or good play ill. 

Cavendish's experience should suffice — owing to its wide extent 
and carefully noted results — to settle this point finally and forever. 
He tells us that of 30,668 rubbers played from January, 1860, to De- 
cember, 1878, he won 15,648 rubbers, and lost 15,020, and counting 
points, w^hich tell far more, he won in all 85,486 points, and lost 81,- 
055, gaining thus a balance of 4431 points. It is practically impos- 
sible that so large a balance in his favor should be due to mere 
chance. The difference must have been due to play. Were two 
good players matched in as many rubbers against two bad ones, the 
difference would be far greater. 

A correspondent, as a further proof that good play must tell, gives 
us his experience, which was carefully taken down: In two years' 
play, he tells us that the first year he played 2069 rubbers, winning 
1097 and losing 972, leaving a balance of 125 to the good; and 
counting points, he won 5893 and lost 5233— a balance of 660 to the 

11 



154 



HOW TO PLxVY WHIST. 



good. In the next year he played 1626 ruljbers, winning 855 and 
losing 771, or a credit of 84 rubbers, the points being 4701 wins, 
4159 losses — showing balance of 542 to the good. In the following 
year he played 2029 rubbers, winning 1107 and losing 922, leaving 
185 balance on the winning; but that year he did not keep a record 
of points. This is, of course, a much higher winning average than 
Cavendish's ; but, as our correspondent admits the inferiority of his 
play compared to Cavendish's, probably the element of luck steps in 
here. He adds that, in his long experience of play, there was never 
a week, scarcely even a sitting, that he did not see at least one rub- 
ber lost by bad pla}^ or won by good. 

It Didn't Matteb. — My partner trumps my best card, or does 
not trump a doubtful card after I have called for trumps, or com- 
mits some other Whist enormity. We win the game, notwithstand- 
ing, for we have prodigious cards. If I suggest that there was no 
occasion to perpetrate the enormity in question, my partner trium- 
phantly informs me, "It didn't matter." This view is altogether 
fallacious. It did not happen to matter in that particular hand, but 
my confidence is impaired, and it will matter in every hand I play 
with that partner for a long time to come. — Cavendish's ''Card- i 
Table Talk." 

Singular Hand and Singular Ill-Fortune. — The following 
remarkable hand of cards was dealt to the Duke of Cumberland, as ' 
he was playing at Whist at the rooms at Bath, by which he lost a 
wager of £20,000, not winning one trick. The Duke's hand con- 
sisted of King, Knave, nine, and seven of trumps (Clubs) ; Ace and 
King of Diamonds; Ace, King, Queen, and Knave of Hearts; and 
Ace, King, and Queen of Spades. The Duke led a small trump. 
Right hand of the Duke, five small trumps, all the other cards Hearts 
and Spades. Left hand of the Duke, Ace, Queen, ten, and eight of 
trumps; ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, and two of 
Diamonds. This hand, after winning the first trick, leads a Dia- 
mond. The Duke's partner's hand all insignificant cards. — Kalei- 
doscope. Was the Duke's lead judicious? (See frontispiece.) < 

In *' Coelebs on Whist " there is a somewhat similar case, only, in- 
stead of failing to make a trick, the holder of the strong hand loses 



1 



WHIST WHITTLINGS. 



155 



five by tricks. Coelebs says a lead of trumps from such a hand is 
wrong. But ninety - nine players out of a hundred would lead 
trumps; and in my opinion the hundredth would lead wrongly. 
We must not judge by the event in such cases. The Whist-player can 
only play according to probabilities ; and the chances are in favor of 
the trump-lead turning out. well. It is far more likely, for instance, 
that, if a Heart is led (the Hearts' suit being already established, be 
it noticed), the adversary will ruff it, and perhaps establish a cross- 
ruff, than that the cards would be so singularly distributed in the 
other hands as they were in this case. Suppose, for example, that 
the cards had lain thus: The Duke's hand, as above (call it A's 
hand) ; ^'s, small cards, no trumps ; F's hand, the four trumps 
named above, no Spades, four Hearts and Diamonds ; Z's hand,* five 
remaining trumps, no Hearts, three Spades and Diamonds. Then, 
if A leads from his long suit, he loses two by tricks, which, with 
such a hand, and a plain-suit lead, is singular ill-fortune. 

He that will not when he may, etc. — The following singular 
combination of cards is worth recording, as it may be made to point 
a moral. It came under my observation at the Portland, Clay and 
my father being partners. The game was ''Four all." The dealer 
turned up a small Heart. Clay led a Diamond. The second hand 

j had Ace, King, Queen, Knave, ten, nine, and two of trumps. With 
these cards, the problem is how to lose the odd trick : 

The second hand contrived it in this way. He had no Diamond, 
and trumped the card led with the deuce of Hearts. My father 
(third hand) also had no Diamond, and only one trump — the three, 

' with which he overtrumped. In the end, the holder of the sixieme 
major only made his six trumps, his adversaries having six winning 
cards in the unplayed suits, which neither of the opponents could 
trump. They therefore lost the odd trick and the game. Had the 
second player (B) trumped with the nine originally, he must have 
won the game, however the cards lay. For, his partner being dealer, 
held the trump card, and consequently B, by then leading trumps 
must make seven tricks, even if all the remaining trumps are in one 
hand against him. JSTo doubt B regarded the chance of the third 
hand's having none of the suit in which he himself was void as prac- 
tically nil. Nevertheless, he might have made the game practically 
^sure. 



156 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



The moral is: Never throw a chance away. — Card-Table Talk:" 
Cavendish. 

All the Trumps m Oise Hand. — Two cases were recorded a few 
years ago in the Westminster Papers, and the Editor made the remark 
that this showed mathematicians to be wrong in stating that the 
odds were, in round numbers, 159 thousand millions to one against 
such an occurrence. This was incorrect. It would not be very much 
out of the way to suppose that among all the Whist-playing nations 
of the earth a million Whist-parties play per diem ; and, say that in j 
each case there are twenty deals. Then it would require only 7950 i 
days, or not much more than 20 years, to give 159,000,000,000 trials. 
Now, many reason as though this number of trials would give an 
even chance that any particular hand would be turned up once at 
least. But this is not correct ; there are two possible results in toss- 
ing a coin, yet it does not require two trials to give an even chance 
of tossing head once at least; one trial suffices. The exact odds 
against the dealer having thirteen trumps are 

158,753,389,899 to 1. 
Pretty long odds! The odds against the occurrence must, however, <| 
be diminished by the circumstance that when a ruffing game has been f 
played, there are several cards of the same suit arranged one in each 
of several sets of four cards, after tricks are gathered. Supposing ., 
them to occupy the same position in each set, which might readily ' 
happen, that there is very little shuffling, and that the same suit is 
trumps in the next hand, it will easily be seen that four or five trumps 
might be already en train to fall to dealer, so that the chance of the j 
remaining trumps falling to him alone would have to be considered. \ 
Say the chance of this happening in the case of five trumps, besides 
the turn-up card, were only ywoq- There are thus 20 cards disposed 
of in the five tricks supposed to have come together, in this special 
manner, in dealing. There remain 32 cards , one of which is the turn- 
up. Out of the 31 cards, 7 are trumps, and form one set of 7 out of 

31 • 30 • 29 • 28 • 27 • 26 • 25 \ \ 

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 ■ 5 • 6 • 7 ^ ^ 

possible sets of 7, or 2,629,575. Hence the chance of both events 
coming off and all thirteen trumps falling into one hand is 
26S&57 5oo6 > C)r the odds only 2,629,574,999 to 1 against the event. 



1 



WHIST WHITTLINGS. 



157 



Lord Lyttok as a Whist-Player. — Lord Lytton was very fond of 
Whist, and he and I both belonged to the well-known Portland Club, 
in which were to be found many of the celebrated players of the day. 
He never showed the slightest disposition of a gambler. He played 
the game well, and without excitement or temper, and apparently his 
whole attention was concentrated upon it ; but it was curious to see 
that at every interval that occurred in the rubbers he w^ould rush off 
to a writing-table, and with equally concentrated attention proceed 
with some literary work until called again to take his place at the 
Whist-table. There w^as a member of the club, a very harmless, in- 
offensive man, of the name of Townend, for whom Lord Lytton en- 
tertained a mortal antipathy, and would never play Whist w^hile that 
gentleman was in the room. He fii;mly believed that he brought him 
bad luck. I was witness to what must be termed an odd coinci- 
dence. One afternoon, when Lord Lytton was playing, and had en- 
joyed an uninterrupted run of luck, it suddenly turned, upon w^hich 
he exclaimed, ''I am sure that Mr. Townend has come into the 
club." Some three minutes after, just time enough to ascend the 
stairs, in walked this unlucky personage. Lord Lytton, as soon as 
the rubber was over, left the table and did not renew the play. — Ser- 
geant Balantine's " Experiences of a Barrister's Life." 

A CoRRESPOisDENT, A. B.," scnds the following reasoning (given 
in a letter to the Asian) for analysis. The writer is showing how 
the odds on the rubber, after one game has been played, are calcu- 
lated: " Supposing A B to have won the first game, there are four 
different ways in which two games can be played, and only four. 





2d game. 


3d game. 




(1) 


A B win 


FZwin 


A B win the rubber. 


(3) 


A B win 


F^win 


A B win the rubber. 


(3) 


r^win 


A B win 


A B win the rubber. 


(4) 


rZwin 


win 


T Z win the rubber. 



Yrom this we see that in three of the cases A B win the rubber, 
and in one only Y Z win. Hence the odds onAB should be 3 to 1. " 
Of course, in cases 1 and 2 the third game is not played, but is only 
given to show the different ways in which two games can be played. 

On this A. B. remarks: "It seems to me that the first two cases 
are really one and the same, as the third game is not played ; and 
that, therefore, only three ways are to be considered, viz. : 



158 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



Supposing A B to have won the first game — 

2d game. 3d game. Eabber. 

A B win A B win. 

Y Z win A B win A B win. 

FZwin rZwin FZwin. 

Which would make it 2 to 1 on J. 5; but I suppose I am wrong in 
my deduction." 

The reasoning of the Asian correspondent is correct. We must 
consider both ways in which the two games might be played for A B 
to win, although in one case there is no occasion to play the second. 
The correctness of the result may, perhaps, be best shown thus : 

Suppose there were trials to determine experimentally the 
true odds, n being some very large number. Then we know that 
m about half, or 2n, of these trials A B would win the first game. 
In all these 2n cases (about) A B would win the rubber. In the 
other half, or about 2ii cases, Y Z would win the first game, and a 
third game would have to be played. Of the 2n (about) third games 
thus played, A B would win about half, or n games, and in each of 
these cases they would win the rubber. Thus in aU they would 
win the rubber in about 2n + n, or 3?^, cases out of the 4?i, w^hile Y Z 
would win in about n cases. Thus the odds in their favor are 3?i 
to n, or 3 to 1. 

ISTote that the law of probability assures us only that A B will win 
(the players being assumed of equal skill) in about cases out of 
4/1, or in ^n±r cases, winning in ?i=f: r cases, where, if n is very 
large, r will be very small compared with n. Thus the proportion of 

7' X T 

wins to losses will be 37i ± r to n =f or 3 ± — to 1 =f where — ma v 

n n n ^ 

be made as small as we please by sufficiently increasing n. 



CHANCES OF HOLDING CERTAIN HANDS AT WHIST. 

A correspondent of Knowledge (llr. Algernon Bray, New York) 
supplied the following calculations of the chance of holding hands 
at Whist, in which the cards are distributed among different suits in 
any possible way : 

1 card or 12 cards may be taken from any suit in 13 ways. 



PARAGEAPHS. 



159 



18 X 12 

2 or 11 cards may be taken from any suit in — ^ — = 78 ways. 



3 or 10 cards may be taken from any suit in 



2 

13x12x11 
2x3 



= 286 ways. 



4 or 9 cards may be taken from any suit in 13 x 12 x 11 x 10 



ways. 



2x3x4 



= 715 



5 or 8 cards may be taken from any suit in 13xl2x 11 xl0x 9 
1287 ways. 2x3x4x5 

6 or 7 cards may be taken from any suit in 13x12x11 x 10x9x8 __ 
1716 ways. 2x3x4x5x6 

The number of ways in which a complete hand of thirteen cards 
can be made, having the cards distributed among different suits in a 
certain way, is obtained by multiplying together the numbers of the 
ways in which the numbers of cards in the several suits may be 
taken, and multiplying that product by the number of ways in 
whicli the suits can be chosen. For instance, if the cards were 
divided among the suits thus — 1, 8, 4, 5 — the number of ways would 
be 13 x 286 x 715 x 1287 x 24; 24 being 4 x 3 x 2, the number of ways 
of choosing the suits. A hand divided thus — 2, 2, 3, 6 — might be 
made in 78 x 78 x 286 x 1716 x 12 ways, 12 or 4 x 3 being the number of 
ways in which the suits of 3 and 6 can be chosen, the other two suits 
having two cards each. A hand composed of three cards of each 
of three suits and four of the fourth, may be made in 286^x715x4 
ways, there being only four ways in which the four suit can be chosen. 

The following table, made in the manner above indicated, will 
show the chances of holding any sort of hand, the number of chances 
in each case being one fourth of the number of the ways in which 
the hand can be made. The hands are arranged in the order of their 
respective frequencies : 



4, 4, 3, 2 

5, 3, 3, 2 
5, 4, 3, 1 

5, 4, 2, 2 

4, 3, 3, 3 

6, 3, 2, 2 
6, 4, 2, 1 

6, 3, 3, 1 

5, 5, 2, 1 

4, 4, 4, 1 

7, 3, 2, 1 

6, 4, 3, 

5, 4, 4, 



34,213. 
24,633. 
20,527: 
16,795, 
16,726: 

8,957. 

7,464, 

5,474. 

5. 

4,751, 
2,985. 
2,105; 
1,973: 



221,900 
519,768 
933,140 
,581,660 
464,040 
643,552 
702,960 
,115,504 
674,498 
836,375 
881,184 
429,040 
839,725 



5, 5, 

6, 5, 

6, 5, 

7, 2, 
7, 4, 
7, 4, 

7, 3, 

8, 2, 
8, 3. 
8, 3, 

7, 5, 
6, 6, 

8, 4. 



3, 

1, 1 

2, 
2, 2 

1, 1 

2, 

3, 
% 1 

1, 1 

2, 
1, 
1, 
1, 



Chances. 



1,421,164,602 
1,119,705,444 
1,033,574,256 
814,331,232 
622,058,580 
574,207,920 
421,085,808 
305,374,212 
186,617,574 
172,262,376 
172,262,37(> 
114,841,584 
71,775,990 



Hand. 



9, 2, 1, 1 

9, 3, 1, 

9, 2, 2, 

7, 6, 0, 

8, 5, 0, 
10, 2, 1, 

9, 4, 0, 
10, 1, 1, 1 

10, 3, 0, 

11, 1, 1, 

11, 2, 0, 

12, 1, 0, 

13, 0, 0, 



Chances. 



28,275,390 
15,950,220 
13,050,180 
8,833,968 
4,969,107 
1,740.S24 
1,533,675 
628,342 
24.5,388 
39,546 
18,252 
507 
1 



160 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



The total number of chances is 158,753,389,900, which is one 
fourth of the whole number of ways in which a hand can be made. 
The chances cannot be exactly expressed in much simpler terms 
than these — the only factors which will divide the whole number of 
chances and the chances of any particular hand being 100 and the 
factors of 100. There are, however, only three hands of which the 
chances cannot be expressed more simply by dividing by 2, 4, 10, 20, 
25, or 100. 

If it is desired to know the chance of having any sort of hand 
with the condition that it shall contain, or not contain, a trump, the 
rule for determining it is as follows : If the hand comprises only two 
suits, one third of the whole number of chances of having such a 
hand is the number of chances of having such a hand, one of those 
suits being trumps ; and two thirds of the whole number of chances 
is the number of chances of having such a hand without a trump. 
In a three-suit hand the proportions are reversed, two thirds of the 
possible hands containing a trump and one third not containing one. 
For, in the case of a two-suit hand, 26 of the 39 cards not in the 
hand, any one of which may be the trump card, belong to the tw^o 
other suits ; and in the case of a three-suit hand 13 of the 39 cards 
belong to the other suit. It is equally easy to determine the chance 
of having a certain hand of which a certain suit shall be trumps, for 
instance, in a 10, 2, 1, hand, of the whole number of chances of 
having such a hand, or ^ is the number of chances of having 
such a hand coDtaining ten trumps, is the number of chances of 
the hand containing two trumps, and if or 3^ is the number of 
chances of the hand containing only one trump. Of course, this 
applies only to a non-dealer's hand. The dealer being sure to have 
a trump, the chances of his having such a hand with 10 or 2 trumps, 
or only 1 trump, are respectively , and of the whole number. 



A ''YAEBOROUGH" HAND AT WHIST. 

A former Earl of Yarborough was always ready to wager £1000 to 
£1 against the occurrence of a hand at Whist in which there should 
be no card better than a nine. 

The bet was decidedly unfair, and if made a great number of 
times must have resulted in large gains to the person who made it. 
It is easy to calculate the odds before the deal ; after the deal, or if 



PARx\GRAPHS. 



161 



the cards are cut and the lowest card is known, the odds are slightly- 
altered. In each suit there are five cards, Ace, King, Queen, Knave, 
ten, above a nine, or in the pack, 20 cards above a nine. From the 
remaining 32 cards a hand of 13 cards may be formed in 

32-31'30-29 20 

1 • 2 • 3 - 4 13 

different ways. The whole pack, however, will form 

52-51-50-49 40 

1 - 2 - 3-4 13 

different hands of thirteen cards. The chance, then, that any hand 
taken at random will have no card better than nine is represented 
by the ratio which the former of these amounts bears to the latter, 
or by the fraction 

32 ' 31 • 30 29 20 __ 32 • 31 • 30 • 29 • 28 • 27 

52'51-50'49 40'~51-49-47'45-43 -41-2^ 

_ 31-15-29-14-27 __ 31-29'2-3 

~ 51 -49 -47 -45 -43 -41 ~17-7-47-43-41* 

I It will be found, on reducing, that this fraction is rather less than 
I ^h^t Lord Yarborough, if he had been fair (assuming always 

! that he knew how to calculate probabilities) should have offered 
jl rather more than £1827 to £1 against the occurrence of the hand in 
1 question. It must be understood, of course, that he wagered with 
1 one of the players against that player having a ''Yarborough," not 

against the occurrence of a "Yarborough" among the four hands 
i dealt. The chance of this latter event is, of course, greater. 

Supposing Lord Yarborough offered a wager of £1000 to £1 to 

each member of a Whist party, for ten deals, on each of 100 nights 
» in each of ten years, he would have cleared about £18,000. 



SKILL AT WHIST. 

The following, from Cavendish's interesting ''Card-Table Talk," 
will be found well worth studying by Whist-players of all classes, 
good, bad, and indifferent : 

In the latter part of the winter of 1857, during an after-dinner con- 
1 ^ersation, it was remarked by some of the party that Whist is a 
I jiere matter of chance, since no amount of ingenuity can make a 
i King win an Ace, and so on. This produced an argument as to the 



162 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



merits of the game ; and, as two of the disputants obstinately main- 
tained the original position, it was proposed to test their powers by 
matching them against two excellent players in the room. To this 
match, strange to say, the bad players agreed, and a date was fixed. 
Before the day arrived, it was proposed to play the match in double, 
another rubber of two good against two bad players being formed in 
an adjoining room, and the hands being played over again, the good 
players having the cards previously held by the bad ones, and mce 
versa, the order of the play being, of course, in every other respect 
preserved. The difficulty now was to find two players sufficiently 
bad for this purpose; but two men were found, on condition of 
having odds laid them at starting, which was accordingly done. 

On the appointed day a table was formed in room A, and as soon 
as the first hand was played, the cards were resorted and conveyed 
into room B. There the hand was played over again, the good 
players in room B having the cards that the bad players had in room 
A. At the end of the hand the result was noted for comparison, 
independently of the score, which was conducted in the usual way. 
Thirty-three hands were played in each room. In room A the good 
players held very good cards, and won four rubbers out of six; in 
points, a balance of eighteen. In room B the good players had, of 
course, the bad cards. They played seven rubbers with the same 
number of hands that in the other room had played six, and they 
won three out of the seven, losing seven points on the balance. The 
difference, therefore, was eleven points, or nearly one point a rubber 
in favor of skill. 

A comparison of tricks only showed some curious results. In 
seven of the hands the score by cards in each room was the same. 
In eighteen hands the balance of the score by cards was in favor of 
the superior players ; in eight hands in favor of the inferior. In one 
of these hands the bad players won two by cards at one table, and 
three by cards at the other. 

The most important result is that at both tables the superior 
players gained a majority of tricks. In room A they Won on the 
balance nineteen by tricks ; in room B they won two by tricks. 

It will be observed that this experiment does not altogether elimi- 
nate luck, as bad play sometimes succeeds. But by far the gi'eater 
part of luck, viz., that due to the superiority of winning cards, is, 
by the plan described, quite got rid of. 



PARAGRAPHS. 



163 



Dr. Pole (the Field, June 16, 1866) arrives at nearly the same re- 
sult by a statistical method. He writes to this effect : 

" It is very desirable to ascertain the value of skill at Whist. 

*'The voluntary power we have over results at Whist is com- 
pounded of — 1. The system of play. 2. The personal skill em- 
ployed." 

The modern system, which combines the hands of the two part- 
ners, as against no system (the personal skill of all being pretty 
equal), is worth — Dr. Pole thinks — about half a point a rubber, or 
rather more. About 900 rubbers played by systematic against old- 
fashioned players gave a balance of nearly 500 points in favor of 
system. 

The personal skill will vary with each individual, and is difficult 
to estimate; but, looking at published statistics, in which Dr. Pole 
had confidence, he puts the advantage of a very superior player (all 
using system) at about a quarter of a point a rubber; consequently 
the advantage due to combined personal skill (^. e., two very skilful 
against two very unskilful players, all using system), would be more 
than half a point a rubber. 

The conclusion arrived at by Dr. Pole is that ''the total advan- 
tage of both elements of power over results at Whist may, under 
very favorable circumstances, be expected to amount to as much as 
i one point per rubber." 

Now, at play-clubs, nearly all the players adhere more or less 
closely to system, and the great majority have considerable personal 
skill. Consequently, only the very skilful player can expect to win 
I anything, and he will only have the best player at the table for a 
I partner, on an average, once in three times. It follows from this 
I that the expectation of a very skilful player at a play-club will only 
\ average, at the r.:ost, say a fifth or a sixth of a point a rubber. 

Playing t.ith a Bad Partner.— In the face of the immense 
variety of ths style of play one may meet with, the only general ad- 
vice one can give is, as soon as it becomes apparent that your partner 

; does not understand your own system, observe his play carefully, 
and endeavor to discover what his peculiarities are ; and if you find 

I he has any fixed habits at all, you may in most cases adapt your 
play to them, and so turn them to your joint advantage. If he cannot, 
or will not, fall in with your system, you must adopt his, and so en- 



164 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



deavor, still in defiance of him, to make some sort of a combination, 
and avoid the cross purposes which are so beneficial to the adver- 
sary. — Pole. 



GAME XXIV. (p. 116). 

Referring to this remarkable game, the following passage from 
Cavendish's late Card-Table Talk" will be found interesting: 

' ' Of course I seldom played at the same table with my father at 
the Portland," writes Cavendish. "But it occasionally happened 
that there was only one table, and that we must either play together 
or lose our amusement. On one of those afternoons I was Z in 
Hand No. XXIV., and my father was B, By reference to the 
game " (p. 116) ''it will be seen that I played the grand coup against 
him. My partner was a very good player. When the game was 
over the following conversation took place : 

K. (my partner to me). — ' You trumped my best diamond.' 

'' Ego. — * I know I did. We won the trick by it.* 
K. — 'I don't see how you could win a trick by trumping a win- 
ning card.' 

* ' I should mention that my father had seen the position as well 
as I had, that he knew I had three trumps (as was clear after my 
discard at trick 8), and that he was waiting to be led to in trumps. 
I noticed, too, from his manner, that he hardly knew whether to 
feel pleased at my good play, or annoyed ai being outmanoeuvred. 
Ego (to K). — * Ask "the govenuor " if we didn't.' 
Pater (gruffly). — ' Of course you did, of course you did.' 

' * I afterwards told Clay of this coup, and he was good enough to 
say that he admired the discard of the King of Spades at trick 8. 
He also chaffed ' the governor ' a bit about my unfilial conduct. " 

Maxim. — The best Whist-player is he who plays the game in the 
simplest and most intelligible way. — Clay. 

Forcing. — Speaking of the rule> "When weak in trumps do not 
force your partner," Col. Drayson makes the following sound re- 
marks: "It does not mean never force your partner if weak in 
trumps yourself; but it means, if you see a good chance of making 
more tricks by not forcing your partner than you could make by 
forcing him, then refrain from the force; but you should always re- 



PARAGRAPHS. 



165 



member it does not follow that your partner must take a force, even 
though you offer it him. He may conclude, and erroneously, that 
you are strong in trumps; but he would not conclude so unless he 
were considerably impressed with the importance of the advice, * do 
not force your partner if w^eak in trumps.' Many players, influ- 
enced by this recommendation, will frequently throw away a game 
in consequence of their fertile imagination." 



''DO YOU PLAY WHIST?" 

It is amusing to compare the answers given to this question with 
the results observed when the game has fairly begun. ' ' Do you 
play Whist?" "Certainly! I have played Whist for years, and I 
flatter myself I know something about it by this time." The 
game begins, and you find the gentleman who has answered so con- 
fidently knows simply nothing about the game beyond the rules for 
following suit, counting honors, and so forth, which a beginner is 
taught in the first ten minutes of his acquaintance with Whist. He 
not only has no idea of Whist as a game in which each player has a 
partner, but he does not even know how to play his own hand. He 
leads out every winning card, weakens his trumps recklessly in 
ruffing, when — if he knew anything of the game — he would see 
that by leading trumps, or at any rate reserving his force in trumps, 
he might bring in a long suit. He, perhaps, has just so much 
thought of his partner as to return whatever suit his partner may 
have led. Very likely he does this when it is his clear duty to show 
his own suit, or when it should be obvious from the play that his 
partner has led from weakness. Or, again, he may so far think of 
his partner as to force him whenever he gets the chance, though as 
often as not forcing means disarming. 

Another tells you he plays Whist well, who has indeed an idea of 
the general principles on which sound play should depend, but 
knows none of the details essential to the application of these prin- 
ciples in a practical way. He knows, for instance, that when you 
lead trumps you generally want trumps exhausted; but he imagines 
he does enough in helping you to this end when he returns your 
trump lead. He is perplexed and aggrieved when you tell him that 
by returning the wrong card he has utterly foiled all your plans. 
Thus, holding Ace, Queen, nine, and two of trumps, you lead/ let us 



166 



HOW TO PLAT WHIST. 



say, the two, on which fell seven. King, and five; he returns the 
three, on which fall the six, your Queen, and eight on your left. 
Now, so soon as he played the three, you were justified in assuming 
(if he knows how to play the game) that he holds the four and an- 
other ; for neither of the opponents holds the four, and you have it 
not yourself; therefore he must have the card; and, having both 
the four and tlie three, he should return the four, if he holds no 
other: so that, as he returns the three, you assume he holds another. 
You play the Ace, the ten falls on your left, your partner plays the 
four, and the fourth player discards from a plain suit. You believe 
all the trumps to be extracted from the enemy ; and, moreover, that 
you and your partner are four by honors. Acting on this belief, 
you play out King-cards which you would otherwise have retained ; 
and then you bring in your partner's long suit, which had been al- 
ready, we will suppose, established. But, to your disgust, you find 
that your opponent on the left still holds the Knave, with which he 
stops your long suit ; brings in his, with which he finally forces out 
your long trump, and, having no card in your partner's suit, you 
are obliged to lead either from one of the adversaries' suits or from 
a suit in which they hold the King-card, so that they bring in their 
winning cards. Then, perhaps, you waste time trying to convince 
3^our partner that his playing the three before the four made all the 
difference, with no other result but to be rebuked by him for giving 
up the command in your adversaries' suits; a mistake which, but 
for your explanation, he would have known nothiDg about, and 
which would not have been a mistake at all if his play had really 
meant what to every understanding Whist-player it implied. Where 
you really mistook was in assuming that because he said he could 
play Whist he knew something about the elementary rules of the 
game. 

Players who make such blunders as these are apt to argue, when, 
after a time, it becomes clear to them how badly they play, that, as 
they cannot get to remember what cards have been played and by 
whom, to notice the signal, and so forth, it is not worth their while 
to learn such minutiae as the return of the proper card from two or 
from three. But that is just where they are mistaken. These 
points should not be regarded as minutige, but as the A B C of the 
game. It may be diflacult to attend closely to the fall of the cards, 
to draw the right inferences, and to retain to the end what has thus 



PARAGRAPHS. 



167 



been learned, but it is not at all difficult to fall into the constant 
habit of returning the highest card of two, the lowest of three, left 
in the hand after the first round of a suit. It is noteworthy, too, 
how care in such matters helps to aid the memory and keep alive the 
attention. After learning to return the right card, you very soon 
find yourself noticing the card returned by your partner, or by the 
adversaries to each other. Next you find that when thus informed 
as to the number of cards of different suits in different hands, you 
presently begin to recognize where the individual cards of the suit 
must lie. The more you notice, the easier it is to retain what you 
notice in your recollection — precisely as Mr. Proctor, I do not doubt, 
finds it much easier to recollect new astronomical measures than 
most of us do, because, having already a number of such measures 
in his memory, new ones fit themselves in among the rest, so as to 
be more easily remembered. 



PLACING CARDS AT WHIST.^ 
B holds the following hand : 

Spades. — Ten, nine, six, five. (Trumps.) 
Hearts. — Ace, Queen, four, two. 
Diamonds. — Queen, six. 
Clubs. — Ace, ten, eight. 
And the first four tricks are as follows, the underlined card win- 
ning trick, and card below leading next : 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


C 6 


C Kn 


C A 


C 3 


2. 


H 9 


H 5 


H 2 


H 10 


3. 


D 8 


D Kn 


D Q 


D 4 


4. 


S Kn 


_S A 


S 5 


S 7 



After these four tricks have been played, B is a^le to place every 
card, supposing that all the players have followed the usual rules 
for play. 

What we have said about Whist leads and two general rules, one 
for second, the other for third player, suffice to give the solution of 



* From the Westminster Papers. Note, however, that Z might hold the Heart 
King from anything that appears from Round 4. 



168 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



this problem. These are, first, that second player, if he has a se- 
quence of two high cards and one small one, plays the lowest of the 
sequence second hand on a small card led; secondly, that third in 
hand plays highest if he has any card higher than (and not in se- 
quence with) his partner's lead, and no sound finesse open to him, 
but otherwise plays his lowest. 

First Trick. — A has led the lowest from four at least (it should 
have been noticed that the inventor of this hand did not accept the 
rule for penultimate lead). Since two is not in J.'s hand, nor in Z's, 
for Z^s lead third hand shows he was not signalling for trumps, and 
B has it not himself, it must lie with T. But no other small card 
can be in F's hand, who would onl}^ play Knave, having the two, if 
he held Queen, Knave, two, and no more. Hence four and five lie 
with Z, and no more, for A must have four Clubs. Thus the Clubs 
were originally distributed as follows : 

With Y, Queen, Knave, two ; with Z, five, four, three ; with B, 
Ace, ten, eight; and the rest, viz., King, nine, seven, and six, with A. 

Second Trick. — A has no Hearts above ten, and his play of nine 
shows he has none lower. Hence, A only holds Hearts nine. As 
Z plays. the five, he does not hold the three (he had not begun a sig- 
nal in first round, as B knows, holding Club ten in his own hand). 
Hence, Hearts three must be held by Z, and as he played ten, hav- 
ing the three, he must have the Knave, but no others. Hence, the 
Hearts lay originally as follows : 

With A, the nine ; with Z, Knave, ten, three ; with B, Ace, Queen, 
four, two; and the rest, viz., King, eight, seven, six, and five, 
with 7". 

Third Trick. — Diamonds four is the lowest of four at least. A 
has no card below the eight, hence the two and three must be with 
Ty as A is certainly not signalling. We know also that A has not 
five trumps, or he would have begun with one; hence, as he had 
originally four Clubs, one Heart, and fewer than five trumps, he 
must have more than three Diamonds. Since eight is his lowest, 
and Z has led from four at least, B having Queen, six, and Y 
Knave, three, two, it follows that Zmust have held seven, five, four, 
and either Ace or King, showing that A must have had eight, nine, 



PARAGRAPHS. 



169 



ten, and either Ace or King. But ^'s first lead shows that A must 
have the Ace and not the King, for he would not have led Clubs 
from six, seven, nine, King, if he had had eight, nine, ten. King of 
Diamonds; though, following Clay's rule, he would have led a Club 
if holding eight, nine, ten. Ace of Diamonds, reserving the Ace- 
headed long suit to get in with later. Thus the Diamonds lay orig- 
inally as follows : 

With Y, Knave, three, two; with A, eight, nine, ten, Ace; with 
B, Queen, six; and the rest, viz., King, seven, five, four, with Z. 

Fourth Trick. — B knows already that A holds four Spades; T, 
two Spades; and Z, three. As Z plays the seven, the only cards 
left which can make up his remaining two are the eight, the Queen, 
and the King. He cannot have both Queen and King, or he would 
have played the Queen. He must have, then, either eight Queen or 
j eight King. But if he had the Queen, King would lie with A, and 
! A would not have finessed the Knave holding King, Knave, and 
i two others. Therefore Z held King, eight, seven. F's other card 
! must be a small one, and Spades were originally distributed as fol- 
lows: 

Z— King, eight, seven; B — ten, nine, six, five; T— Ace, two (or 
three, or four); and the rest, viz., Queen, Knave, four, three (or 
four, two, or three, two), with A. 

The doubt as to the actual value of the small Spade in Ps hand 
j can hardly be said to affect the statement that Z knows the position 
of every card in the pack, for the two, three, and four are in this 
case of practically equal value. 

We would now leave our Whist readers to explain why B led 
trumps fourth round, when, with his knowledge of the position of 
cards, he might, one would say, have led his only remaining Dia- 
mond, through Z's King, enabling A to make the trick with the nine. 



THE CHILIAN METHOD OF SCORING AT WHIST,* 
No honors are counted, and the score is kept in the same way as 
at Short Whist, with the addition of points for the tricks which one 



• Seut by a correspondeut to Knowledge, 

13 



no 



HOW TO PLAY AYHIST. 



side make more than the other during the rubber. By the usual 
method, one side ma}'^ win, even without the assistance of honors, 
having made fewer tricks than the losers, and good cards beyond 
those required for the necessary number of tricks are thrown away. 
The marking is easily done by each player keeping a score — one, on 
each side, the usual score, the other the + and ~ account: e. g,, let 
A, B, C, D, be players — 



1st Game. — 1st hand. 
2d 
3d 



A G win 4 by tricks. 
BD " 3 
AC 5 



1st hand. 

2d " 



3d 



Score at 
Short Whist. 

A scores 4 
B d 



Chili Score. 



single 



C scores 4. 

C marks oif 3, 
leaving A G 
(4 - 3) = 1. 

G scores 5+1 = 



Thus A G start the 2d game with a single and 6 points to the good. 
The usual method would have left them with 4 tricks unscored. 

Let us take one extreme example of the English game with and 
without honors, and th^ Chilian game : 

Gounting Honors. 
1st Game.— 1st hand. A (7 win 4 by tricks, ) ^ (v^ia treble. 



2d 

2d Game. — 1st 
2d 

3d Game. — 1st 
2d 



A G 
A G 
BD 
A C 
BD 



7 
4 

1 trick + 4 honors, B D win single. 
4 by tricks. 

1 trick + 4 honors, win single. 



Thus B D win the rubber (1 point) with 2 tricks only gained 
against A (7's 19. 

Not Gounting Honors. 
Let BD in the 2d hand of the 2d and 3d game win 5 tricks. They 
then win one point with 10 tricks against A (7's 19. 



Chilian Method. — A G instead of BD win (8 points)19— 10— 1, 
as they ought to do, though it is very unusual to lose the rubber and 
yet win points. 

To mark a high score, it is not necessary to use many counters 
==: 5, : . . . 6, . etc., or any better way. 



PARAGRAPHS. 



Ill 



It is an objection to win the rubber and yet lose points, but this is 
not so objectionable as to win the rubber with 2 tricks against 19, or 
even with 10 against 19 



UNSCIENTIFIC AMERICAN WHIST. 

When I wrote, in Longman's Magazine, an article on the science 
of the game of Poker — which may be called a thoroughly American 
game — many journahsts in America expressed their doubts whether 
I should not be altogether beaten at the game itself by men who 
know nothing of the scientific principles which are really involved 
in the game. I think this not unlikely, considering that I have 
never taken a hand at the game — to which I may add that I am 
never likely to do so, the game being a purely gambling one, and 
gambling, in my opinion, a degrading practice for any above the 
condition of the savage. But, during my recent stay in America, I 
have had occasion to play pretty frequently at the more scientific 
game — Whist — and I have been led to notice certain peculiarities in 
the way in which Americans play this game (growing gradually in 
favor among them) which shows that they have still much to learn. 
Of course, nothing of what I am about to say is intended to apply 
to those Americans who know and appreciate what may be called 
the European method of playing Whist; only to those, ninety-nine 
I think out of a hundred, who regard themselves as good Whist 
players, but are not acquainted with, or despise, the conventional 
language of the game. 

I note, first, that Americans very sensibly object to the part 
which honors play in Whist at home. The utmost they will allow 
honors to count is one half our estimate. That is to say, if two 
partners hold three honors out of the four, they count ''one" only, 
^1 instead of ''two;" if they hold all four they count "two" instead 
Lj of "four." But most Americans prefer to count nothing for hon- 
I ors. In one sense this is good, for it makes more depend on skill, 
and Whist is a game of skill ; in another sense, however, it rather 
injures the game, because it eliminates those pretty positions which 
frequently arise where the saving of a game or of a point depends 
on making a certain number of tricks, counting before honors al- 
ready declared against you. Looking keenly out for the honors, or 
I indications of their position, a good player sees that such and such 



172 



HOAV TO PLAY WHIST. 



tricks must be made to save tlie game, and plays simply to make 
them, entirely changing his tactics, perhaps, for the purpose. 

Again, Americans prefer long Whist to short ; and here, again, 
the game loses certain points of great interest, arising when the 
play depends on details of the score. 

But the chief point which is noticeable in American Whist-play 
is that which Deschapelles (far and away the greatest Whist-player 
ever known) called the most detestable fault a Whist-player can 
have: Americans at Whist are inveterate "players of their own 
hand." They will not admit, or cannot see, the advantage (in nine 
cases out of ten) of that system by which each player regards his 
own hand and his partner's as one — a system by which the game is 
made really scientific. For this system the general rule holds that 
it is better to inform your partner than to deceive the enemy. The 
American who considers himself strong at Whist adopts, instead, 
the principle that it is best to play a dark game. He reasons that 
by playing dark he hides his own hand from the adversaries, while, 
if they play the open game, he knows something about their hands 
— a manifest advantage, if his unfortunate partner had no part to 
play. But as the partner is equally deceived, and, so far from help- < 
ing, is likely to obstruct, the mischief much outbalances the advan- j 
tage of the dark game. This I had known theoretically long since. I 
But never till I played Whist in America did I have such clear 
proof of the fact as I have recently had. I have played repeatedly 
with a partner who knows the Whist language, against two part- 
ners, each of whom plays his own hand with considerable skill. 
Repeatedly I have been perplexed by the play of one or other of the 
adversaries, and occasionally I have seen that they have been able 
to make use to their advantage of those indications by which I and 
my partner show the cards we hold in particular suits. But I have 
satisfied myself that at least one trick in ten is gained in the long i 
run (by which I mean that ten tricks are made for nine) by playing 
the open game, the two partners working together against two ad- ^ 
versaries working separately. 

Among the methods of play arising from this one-hand (or my- 
own-hand) system is the practice of leading from a short suit or a 
singleton, if no suit has much strength. This Americans do quite i 
irrespectively of the question whether they hold few or many 
trumps. It is bad enough to lead thus, even when you hold only 



I>ROBLEMS. 



173 



two or tliree trumps; but to lead from a singleton or a two-card 
suit when you hold four trumps is surely a Whist atrocity of the 
first magnitude. You get your anxiously desired ruff, and presently 
find that your partner has a fine suit, which only needed that fourth 
trump of yours to be brought in ; instead, however, the enemy lead 
trumps, get the command in them owing to your cleverness, bring 
in their good suits, and make a great game. To which must be 
added that while, by leading from a very short suit, you fail to tell 
your partner which is your long suit, you quickly disclose to the 
whole table which is your weak suit : you omit to give your partner 
the only kind of information which, as a rule, can really be of use 
to him, and give the enemy just that kind of information which is 
most useful to them. For, as double dummy shows, there is no in- 
formation at Whist more useful than that which tells where the 
weak suits of the enemy lie. 

It will be understood that Americans like to play a ruflang game, 
and are in their glory when they get a cross-ruff. (In : fact, the 
only excuse for leading from a singleton is the chance of estab- 
lishing a cross-ruff.) I roused intense wrath in an American part- 
ner when, after he had established a cross-ruff, I broke it by leading 
trumps. I had five, and a strong suit which had been established; 
he had led me a suit which I had been obliged to trump, and I 
could have led him twice from a suit he could ruff. We should 
thus have made hy the cross-ruff five tricks, but no more, and two 
of these would have been sure ones anyhow. But, of course, I 
played no such game. I led trumps to stop the cross-ruff; got out 
all the trumps (making three tricks in that suit besides the two 
ruffs), brought in my strong suit, making three tricks in that, or 
eight instead of five. Yet he never ceased to rebuke me for stop= 
ping a cross-ruff which would have ruined us. — Mr. Kichard A. 
Proctor in the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle. 



PROBLEMS; 
Problem I; 

Lieutenant-Colonel Drayson gives the following ingenious little 
louble-dummy puzzle ; Give the adversaries four by honors in every 



174 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



suit; give yourself and partner any of the other cards you choose; 
and win five by cards against them, you to have the lead. 



Problem II. — An Easy Double -DrMMY Problem. 

Colonel Drayson gives the following amusing example (which oc- 
curred to himself at double-dummy) of the difference between prac- 
tical and theoretical Whist. As he says, if any player had played 
at Whist as it is necessary to pla}^ in the following case, he would 
probably have been accused of trying to lose the game : 



A 

Hearts—lO, 6, 4. 
Spades — A. 
Clubs— A, K, Q. 
Diamonds — 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 
3. 

B 

Hearts— 5, 3, 2. 
Spades— 9, 8, 5, 3, 2, 
Clubs — none. 
Diamonds — A, Q, Kn, 9, 



THE 


HANDS. 




B 




Tr. m. 


Y 


Z 




A leads. 



Y 

Hearts— K, K, Q, Kn. 
Spades— K, 10, 7, 4. 
Clubs— 10, 7, 4. 
Diamonds— K, 2. 



Hearts—^, 8, 7. 
Spades— Q, Kn, 6. 
Clubs— Kn, 9, 8, 6, 5, 3, 
2. 

Diamonds— none. 



Score:— A B, A) YZ, Love. 
Y Z to save (and win) the game. 



Problem III.— Double-dooiy Ending. 

By Mr. F. H. Lewis. 

^— SA, 2; DA, 6, 4; H K, 10. 
r— S 9, Q ; D Q, K ; C 9 ; H 6, Q. 
^— S 10, K ; C 5, 10 ; H 3 ; D 7, 10. 
Z—S 3, 8; H 4, 8; C Kn; D 5, 8. 

Spades trumps. B to lead, and A Bio make all seven tricks* 



t>ROBLEMh;. 



175 



A holds 
Spades — 9, 6. 
Diamonds— Kn, 5. 

B holds 
Spades — 5, 2. 
Diamonds — 10, 3. 



Problem: IV. 

THE HANDS. 

T>\ S. 

Y Z 

A leads. 



r holds 
Spades — 10, 8. 
Hearts— 9, 7, 

Z holds 
Spades — Q, 8. 
Hearts— 4, 2. 



Score :—A B, A] YZ,2. 
Two honors have been played by Y Z, one honor by ^, so that 
T Z hold two by honors, to Z's knowledge. A B have turned six 
tricks. 

A having led Diamond Knave, how is Z to play to save and win 
the game ? 



Problem V. — Double-dummy. 



Hearts— Kn, 6. 
Clubs— 5, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — A, Q, Kn, 6, 
es — A, Q, Kn. [5. 



B 

Hearts— A, Q, 10, 9, 
' Clubs— 10, 6. 

Diamonds — 3. 
; Spades— 10, 9, 8, 7. 



4, 3. 



THE 


HANDS. 




B 




Tr. H'l. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



marts— K, 8, 7. 
Clubs— 9, 8, 7, 4. 
Diamonds — 2. 
Spades— 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. 

Z 

Hearts— 5, 2. 
Clubs— A, K, Q, Kn. 
Diamonds— K, 10, 9, 
Spades— K. [7, 



The lead being with A, A B make every trick. 



Problem VI. — Simple Ending. 
By Mr. F. H. Lewis, 
^'s cards. H A, 10 ; S 10 ; D Kn, 7. 
rs cards. CK; H Kn ; S Kn, 2 ; D 9. 
B' cards. C ^, 5 ; S 4 ; D 4, 2. 
Z's cards. H K, 5 ; S 6 ; D 10, 5. 
Clubs trumps ; A to lead ; A B to make all five tricks. 



176 



KOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



Problem YII.— Simple Ending. 
By Mr. F. H. Lewis, 
^'s cards. CA,Kn ; H 6 ; S 4 ; D 10, 9, 8. 
Fs cards. (7 10, 7 ; H A, Kn ; S Q, 10, 2. 
^'s cards. H K, 7, 4 ; S K, 9 ; D A, Q. 
Z's cards. (7 9,6; H9, 8; S 8, 7, 6. 
Clubs trumps ; A to lead ; ^ ^ to make all seven tricks. 



Problems YIII. and IX. 



B held 
Diamonds — A, 10, 8, 3. 
Club— 5. 



Zheld 
Hearts— 7, 6, 5, 3. 
ae— Kn. 



Fheld 
Diamonds — K, 9, 7. 
Club-8. 
Heart — Kn. 

A held 
Diamonds — 4, 2. 
Clubs— Kn, 10, 7. 

It was Z's lead, and A B must make every trick to save and win 
the game. A, the original leader, had shown by leading the penul- 
timate that he held five Clubs, of which three remain in his hand. 
This is known to the whole table. B had signalled for trumps, and 
from the play it is clear that he now holds four trumps one honor. 
Moreover, this honor must be the Ace or the game is lost. A further 
knows that his partner holds trump three. Z knows from the play 
that A holds both four and two of trumps. He also knows that the 
Knave of Hearts is with his partner, and that T holds a Club which, 
if the winning Club, insures the game. The game is also sure if Y 
holds the King and ten of trumps. 

1. How is ^to play to make sure of winning if Fplay correctly, 
even though Y shall be found to hold a losing Club, but with either 
King nine, or ten nine of trumps, besides a small one ? 



2. Z actually led a Heart ; how can A B now save and win the 
game ? 



PROBLEMS. 



177 



Problem X. — Gkeat Vienna Coup at Double - dummy, as 
GIVEN BY Clay. 



Clubs—A, K, Q, 3. 
Hearts— 2. 
Spades — A, Q. 
Diamonds — A, Q, 7, 6, 
4, 3. 

B 

Clubs— 7, 4, 2. 
Hearts— A, K, Q, Kn, 3. 
Spades— Kn, 10, 3. 
Diamonds — 5, 2. 



THE HANDS. 




r 

Clubs— S, 6, 5. 
Hearts— 10, 9, 7, 6, 5. 
Spades— K, 6. 
Diamonds— Kn, 10, 8. 



Clubs— Kn, 10, 9. 
Hearts — 8, 4. 
Spades— 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — K, 9, 



A leading is to make every trick. 



WHIST LAWS, GLOSSARY, SOLUTE OP PROBLEMS 



I 



WHIST LAWS, GLOSSARY, SOLUTION OF 
PROBLEMS. 



THE LAWS OF SHORT WHIST. 

{Verhatim from the Club Code.) 
The Rubber. 

1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the first two games 
be won by the same players, the third game is not played. 

Scoring. 

2. A game consists of five points. Each trick, above six, counts 
one point. 

3. Honors, ^. e., Ace, King, Queen, and Knave of trumps are thus 
reckoned : 

If a player and his partner, either separately or conjointly, hold — 

I. The four honors, they score four poiuts. 
II. Any three honors, they score two poiuts. 
in. Only two honors, they do not score. 

4. Those players who, at the commencement of a deal, are at the 
score of four, cannot score honors. 

5. The penalty for a revoke takes precedence of all other scores. 
Tricks score next. Honors last. 

6. Honors, unless claimed before the trump card of the following 
ideal is turned up, cannot be scored. 

7. To score honors is not sufficient; they must be called at the 
end of the hand; if so called, they may be scored at any time dur- 
ing the game. 

8. The winners gain— 

I. A treble, or game of three poiuts, when their 

adversaries have not scored. 
II. A double, or game of two points, when their 
adversaries have scored less than three, 



182 



HOW TO PLAY AVHIST. 



III. A single, or game of one point, when their 
adversaries have scored three, or four. 

9. The winners of the rubber gain two points (commonly called 
the rubber points), in addition to the value of their games. 

10. Should the rubber have consisted of three games, the value 
of the losers' game is deducted from the gross number of points 
gained by their opponents. 

11. If an erroneous score be proved, such mistake can be cor- 
rected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred, and 
such game is not concluded until the trump card of the following 
deal has been turned up. 

12. If an erroneous score, affecting the amount of the rubber, be 
proved, such mistake can be rectified at any time during the rubber. 

Cutting. 

13. The Ace is the lowest card. 

14. In all cases, every one must cut from the same pack. 

15. Should a player expose more than one card, he must cut 
again. 

FOEMATION OF TaBLE. 

16. If there are more than four candidates, the players are se- 
lected by cutting: those first in the room having the preference. 
The four who cut the lowest cards play first, and again cut to 
decide on partners ; the two low^est play against the two highest ; 
the lowest is the dealer, who has choice of cards and seats, and, hav- 
ing once made his selection, must abide by it. 

17. When there are more than six candidates, those who cut the 
two next lowest cards belong to the table, which is complete with 
six players; on the retirement of one of those six players, the can- 
didate who cuts the next lowest card has a prior right to any after- 
comer to enter the table. 

CuTTDsa Cards of Equal Value. 

18. Two players cutting cards of equal value, unless such cards 
are the two highest, cut again: should they be the two lowest, a 
fresh cut is necessary to decide which of those two deals. 

19. Three players cutting cards of equal value cut again ; should 
the fourth (or remaining) card be the highest, the two lowest of the 
new cut are partners, the lower of those two the dealer; should the 



WHIST LAWS. 



183 



fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original 
lowest the dealer. 

Cutting Out. 

20. At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by any- 
one, or by two candidates, he who has, or they who have, played a 
greater number of consecutive rubbers than the others is, or are, 
out; but when all have played the same number, they must cut to 
decide upon the out-goers ; the highest are out. 

Entry and Re entry. 

21. A candidate wishing to enter a table must declare such in- 
tention prior to any of the players having cut a card, either for the 
purpose of commencing a fresh rubber, or of cutting out. 

22. In the formation of fresh tables, those candidates who have 
neither belonged to nor played at any other table have the prior 
right of entry ; the others decide their right of admission by cutting. 

23. Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion of a rubber, 
may, with consent of the other three players, appoint a substitute 
in his absence during that rubber. 

24. A player cutting into one table while belonging to another 
loses his right of re-entry into that latter, and takes his chance of 
cutting in, as if he were a fresh candidate. 

25. If any one break up a table, the remaining players have the 
prior right to him of entry into any other, and should there not be 
sufficient vacancies at such other table to admit all those candidates, 
they settle their precedence by cutting. 

Shuffling. 

26. The pack must neither be shuffled below the table nor so that 
the face of any card be seen. 

27. The pack must not be shuffled during the play of the hand. 

28. A pack, having been played with, must neither be shuffled, 
by dealing it into packets, nor across the table. 

29. Each player has a right to shuffle, once only, except as pro- 
vided by Rule 32, prior to a deal, after a false cut, or when a new 
deal has occurred. 

30. The dealer's partner must collect the cards for the ensuing 
deal, and has the first right to shuffle that pack. 

Bl. Each player after shuffling must place the cards properly 



184 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



collected, and face downwards, to the left of the player about to 
deal. 

32. The dealer has always the right to shufl3e last; but should a 
card or cards be seen during his shufflng, or while giving the pack 
to be cut, he may be compelled to reshuffle. 

The Deal. 

33. Each player deals in his turn; the right of dealing goes to 
the left. 

34. The player on the dealer's right cuts the pack, and, in dividing 
it, must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet ; if in cut- 
ting, or in replacing one of the two packets on the other, a card be 
exposed, or if there be any confusion of the cards, or a doubt as to 
the exact place in which the pack was divided, there must be a 
fresh cut. 

35. When a player, whose duty it is to cut, has once separated 
the pack, he cannot alter his intention; he can neither reshuffle nor 
recut the cards. 

36. When the pack is cut, should the dealer shuffle the cards, he 
loses his deal. 

A New Deal. 

37. There must be a new deal — 

L If during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack be proved incor- 
rect or imperfect. 
II. If any card, excepting the last, be faced iu the pack. 

38. If, while dealing, a card be exposed by the dealer or his part- 
ner, should neither of the adversaries have touched the cards, the 
latter can claim a new deal; a card exposed by either adversary 
gives that claim to the dealer, provided that his partner has not 
touched a card; if a new deal does not take place, the exposed card 
cannot be called. 

39. If, during dealing, a player touch any of his cards, the adver- 
saries may do the same, without losing their privilege of claiming a 
new deal, should chance give them such option. 

40. If, in dealing, one of the last cards be exposed, and the dealer 
turn up the trump before there is reasonable time for his adversaries 
to decide as to a fresh deal, they do not thereby lose their privilege. 

41. If a player, w^hile dealing, look at the trump card, his adver- 
saries have a right to see it, and may exact a new deal, 



WHIST LAWS. 



185 



42. If a player take into the hand dealt to him a card belonging 
to the other pack, the adversaries, on discovery of the error, may 
decide whether they will have a fresh deal or not. 

A Misdeal. 

43. A misdeal loses the deal 

44. It is a misdeal — 

I. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a time, in regular 
rotation, beginning with the player to the dealer's left. 

n. Should the dealer place the last (i. e., the trump) card, face downwards, 
on his own, or any other pack. 

III. Should the trump card not come in its regular order to the dealer ; but 

he does not lose his deal if the pack be proved imperfect. 

IV. Should a player have fourteen cards, and either of the other three less 

than thirteen. 

V. Should the dealer, under an impression that he has made a mistake, 
either count the cards on the table,- or the remainder of the pack. 

VI. Should the dealer deal two cards at once, or two cards to the same 
hand, and then deal a third ; but if, prior to dealing that third card, 
the dealer can, by altering the position of one card only, rectify such 
error, he may do so, except as provided by the second paragraph of 
this law. 

VII. Should the dealer omit to have the pack cut to him, and the adversaries 
discover the error, prior to the trump card being turned up, and be- 
fore looking at their cards, but not after having done so. 

45. A misdeal does not lose the deal if, during the dealing, either 
of the adversaries touch the cards prior to the dealer's partner hav- 
ing done so ; but should the latter have first interfered with the cards, 
notwithstanding either or both of the adversaries have subsequently 
done the same, the deal is lost. 

46. Should three players have their right number of cards — the 
fom'th have less than thirteen, and not discover such deficiency un- 
til he has played any of his cards, the deal stands good; should he 
have played he is as answerable for any revoke he may have made 
as if the missing card, or cards, had been in his hand ; he may 
search the other pack for it, or them. 

47. If a pack, during or after a rubber, be proved incorrect or im- 
perfect, such proof does not alter any past score, game, or rubber; 
that hand in which the imperfection was detected is null and void; 
the dealer deals again. 

48. Any one dealing out of turn, or with the adversary's cards, 

13 



186 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



may be stopped before the trump card is turned up, after which the 
game must proceed as if no mistake had been made. 

49. A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for his partner, 
without the permission of his opponents. 

50. If the adversaries interrupt a dealer while dealing, either by 
questioning the score or asserting that it is not his deal, and fail to 
establish such claim, should a misdeal occur, he may deal again. 

51. Should a player take his partner's deal and misdeal, the latter 
is liable to the usual penalty, and the adversary next in rotation to 
the player who ought to have dealt then deals. 

The TErMP Card. 

52. The dealer, when it is his turn to play to the first trick, should 
take the trump card into his hand ; if left on the table after the first 
trick be turned and quitted, it is liable to be called ; his partner may 
at any time remind him of the liability. 

53. After the dealer has taken the trump card into his hand, it 
cannot be asked for; a player naming it at any time during the play 
of that hand is liable to have his highest or lowest trump called. 

54. If the dealer take the trump card into his hand before it is 
his turn to play, he may be desired to lay it on the table ; should he 
show a wrong card, this card may be called, as also a second, a 
third, etc., until the trump card be produced. 

55. If the dealer declare himself unable to recollect the trump 
card, his highest or lowest trump may be called at any time during 
that hand, and unless it cause him to revoke, must be played ; the 
call may be repeated, but not changed, i. e., from highest to lowest, 
or vice versa, until such card is played. 

Cards Liable to be Called. 

56. All exposed cards are liable to be called, and must be left on 
the table; but a card is not an exposed card when dropped on the 
floor, or elsewhere below the table. 

The following are exposed cards : 
I. Two or more cards played at once. 

II. Any card dropped with its face upwards, or in any way exposed on or 
above the table, even though snatched up so quickly that no one can 
name it. 

57. If any one play to an imperfect trick the best card on the 



WHIST LAWS. 



187 



tabie, or lead one which is a winning card as against his adversaries, 
and then lead again, or play several such winning cards one after 
the other, witjiout waiting for his partner to play, the latter may be 
called on to win, if he can, the first or any other of those tricks, and 
the other cards thus improperly played are exposed cards. 

58. If a player, or players, under the impression that the game is 
lost — or won — or for other reasons — throw his or their cards on the 
table face upwards, such cards are exposed, and liable to be called, 
each player's by the adversary; but should one player alone retain 
his hand, he cannot be forced to abandon it. 

59. If all four players throw their cards on the table face up- 
wards, the hands are abandoned; and no one can again take up his 
cards. Should this general exhibition show that the game might 
have been saved, or won, neither claim can be entertained, unless a 
revoke be established. The revoking players are then liable to the 
following penalties . They cannot under any circumstances win the 
game by the result of that hand, and the adversaries may add three 
to their score, or deduct three from that of the revoking players. 

60. A card detached from the rest of the hand so as to be named 
is liable to be called ; but should the adversary name a wrong card, 
he is liable to have a suit called when he or his partner have the 
lead. 

61. If a player, who has rendered himself liable to have the high- 
est or lowest of a suit called, fail to play as desired, or if when called 
on to lead one suit leads another, having in his hand one or more 
cards of that suit demanded, he incurs the penalty of a revoke. 

62. If any player lead out of turn, his adversaries may either call 
the card erroneously led, or may call a suit from him or his partner 
when it is next the turn of either of them to lead. 

63. If any player lead out of turn, and the other three have fol- 
lowed him, the trick is complete, and the error cannot be rectified; 
but if only the second, or the second and third have played to the 
false lead, their cards, on discovery of the mistake, are taken back ; 
there is no penalty against any one, excepting the original offender, 
whose card may be called, or he or his partner, when either of 
them has next the lead, may be compelled to play any suit demanded 
by the adversaries. 

64. In no case can a player be compelled to play a card which 
would oblige him to reyoke, 



188 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



65. The call of a card may be repeated until such card has been 
played. 

66. If a player called on to lead a suit have none of it, the penalty 
is paid. 

Cards Played in Error, or not Played to a Trick. 

67. If the third hand play before the second, the fourth hand 
may play before his partner. 

68. Should the third hand not have played, and the fourth play 
before his partner, the latter may be called on to win, or not to win, 
the trick. 

69. If any one omit playing to a former trick, and such error be 
not discovered until he has played to the next, the adversaries may 
claim a new deal ; should they decide that the deal stand good, the 
surplus card at the end of the hand is considered to have been played 
to the imperfect trick, but does not constitute a revoke therein. 

70. If any one play two cards to the same trick, or mix his trump, 
or other card, with a trick to which it does not properly belong, and 
the mistake be not discovered until the hand is played out, he is an- 
swerable for all consequent revokes he may have made. If, during 
the play of the hand, the error be detected, the tricks maj^ be counted 
face downwards, in order to ascertain whether there be among them 
a card too many : should this be the case, they may be searched, and 
the card restored ; the player is, however, liable for all revokes which 
he may have meanwhile made. 

The Revoke. 

71. Is when a player, holding one or more cards of the suit led, 
plays a card of a different suit. 

72. The penalty for a revoke : 

I. Is at the option of the adversaries, who, at the end of the hand, may 
either take three tricks from the revoking player, or deduct three 
points from his score, or add three to their own score ; 
II. Can be claimed for as many revokes as occur during the hand ; « 

III. Is applicable only to the score of the game in which it occurs ; 

IV. Cannot be divided ; i. e. , a player cannot add one or two to his own score 

and deduct one or two from the revoking player ; 
V. Takes precedence of every other score ; e.g.^ the claimants two, their op- 
ponents nothing, the former add three to their score, and thereby | 
win a treble game, even should the latter have made thirteen tricks ! 
and held four honors. 



WHIST LAWS. 



189 



73. A revoke is established if the trick in which it occur be turned 
and quitted, i. e. , the hand removed from the trick after it has been 
tiu'ned face downwards on the table, or if either the revoking player 
or his partner, whether in his right turn or otherwise, lead or play to 
the following trick. 

74. A player may ask his partner whether he has not a card of the 
suit which he has renounced; should the question be asked before 
the trick is turned and quitted, subsequent turning and quitting does 
not establish the revoke, and the error may be corrected, unless the 
question be answered in the negative, or unless the revoking player 
or his partner have led or played to the following trick. 

75. At the end of the hand the claimants of a revoke may search 
all the tricks. 

76. If a player discover his mistake in time to save a revoke, the 
adversaries, whenever they think fit, may call the card thus played 
in error, or may require him to play his highest or lowest card to 
that trick in which he has renounced; any player or players who 
have played after him may withdraw their cards and substitute 
others : the cards withdrawn are not liable to be called. 

77. If a revoke be claimed, and the accused player or his partner 
mix the cards before they have been sufficiently examined by the 
adversaries, the revoke is established. The mixing of the cards only 
renders the proof of a revoke diflScult, but does not prevent the claim, 
and possible establishment, of the penalty. 

78. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards have been cut for 
the following deal. 

79. The revoking player and his partner may, under all circum- 
stances, require the hand in which the revoke has been detected to 
be played out. 

80. If a revoke occur, be claimed and proved, bets on the odd trick, 
or on amount of score, must be decided by the actual state of the 
i latter, after the penalty is paid. 

81. Should the players on both sides subject themselves to the pen- 
alty of one or more revokes, neither can win the game ; each is pun- 
ished at the discretion of his adversary. 

82. In whatever way the penalty be enforced, under no circum- 
stances can a player win the game by the result of the hand during 
which he has revoked ; he cannot score more than four. {Vide 
Eule 61.) 



190 now TO PLAY WHIST. 

Calling for New Cards. 

83. Any player (on paying for them) before, but not after, the 
pack be cut for the deal, may call for fresh cards. He must call for 
two new packs, of which the dealer takes his choice. 

General Rules. 

84. Where a player and his partner have an option of exacting 
from their adversaries one of two penalties, they should agree who 
is to make the election, but must not consult with one another which 
of the two penalties it is advisable to exact ; if they do so consult 
they lose their right ; and if either of them, with or without consent 
of his partner, demand a penalty to which he is entitled, such de- 

■ cision is final. 

This rule does not apply in exacting the penalties for a revoke ; partners have 
then a right to consult. 

85. Any one during the play of a trick, or after the four cards are 
played, and before, but not after, they are touched for the purpose of 
gathering them together, may demand that the cards be placed be- 
fore their respective players. 

86. If any one, prior to his partner playing, should call attention 
to the trick — either by saying that it is his, or by naming his card, 
or, without being required so to do, by drawing it towards him — the 
adversaries may require opponent's partner to play the highest or 
lowest of the suit then led, or to win or lose the trick. 

87. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, the offender is 
bound to give reasonable time for the decision of his adversaries. 

88. If a bystander make any remark which calls the attention of 
a player or players to an oversight affecting the score, he is liable to 
be called on, by the players only, to pay the stakes and all bets on 
that game or rubber. 

89. A bystander, by agreement among the players, may decide 
any question. 

90. A card or cards torn or marked must be either replaced by 
agreement, or new cards called at the expense of the table. 

91. Any player may demand to see the last trick turned, and no 
more. Under no circumstances can more than eight cards be seen 




1 



ETIQUETTE OF WHIST. 



191 



during the play of the hand, viz., the four cards on the table which 
have not been turned and quitted, and the last trick turned. 

[It would be a great improvement to the game if this law were 
annulled.] 



ETIQUETTE OF WHIST.* 

The following rules belong to the Established Etiquette of Whist. 
They are not called laws, as it is difficult, in some cases impossible, 
to apply any penalty for their infraction, and the only remedy is to 
cease to play with players who habitually disregard them. 

Two packs of cards are invariably used at Clubs ; if possible this 
should be adhered to. 

Any one, having the lead and several winning cards to play, 
should not draw a second card out of his hand until his partner has 
played to the first trick, such act being a distinct intimation that the 
former has played a winning card. 

No intimation whatever, by word or gesture, should be given by 
a player as to the state of his hand or of the game. 

A player who desires the cards to be placed, or who demands to 
see the last trick, should do it for his own information only, and not 
in order to invite the attention of his partner, f 

No player should object to refer to a bystander who professes 

* From Jas. Clay's Treatise on Short Whist, 
t To these rules may be added the following : 

A player who holds Queen of a suit in which his partner has led King should 
not extend his hand to take the trick before fourth hand has played. This is a 
distinct intimation that he knows his partner has the Ace, and therefore that he 
himself holds the Queen. 

A player whose hand is nearly good enough to signal should not hesitate pur- 
posely when it is his turn to play, and then play his lowest. Such hesitation 
means obviously, "I have four trumps and a good hand, but am not quite strong 
enough to signal ; if you are also strong you can lead trumps." 

A player whose course is clear should not simulate hesitation. If he has but one 
card in the suit led, and should hesitate as if in doubt, he is deliberately telling an 
untruth. 

A player should direct his attention to the play, not to the looks of the players, 
the arrangement of their cards, and so forth. Still less should he look at his ad- 
versaries' hands. But note also that a player is bound to keep his cards well 
hidden. I have heard of an old lady who kept her trumps under an arm till 
wanted ; her adversaries and partner were entitled to ask her to adopt the usual 
course. 



192 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



himself uninterested in the game, and able to decide any disputed 
question of facts: as to who plaj^ed any particular card; whether 
honors w^ere claimed though not scored, or ince versa, etc. 

It is unfair to revoke purposely ; having made a revoke, a player 
is not justified in making a second in order to conceal the first. 

Bystanders should make no remark, neither should they by word 
or gesture give any intimation of the state of the game until con- 
cluded and scored, nor should they walk round the table to look at 
the different hands. 

[I omit Mr. Clay's remarks about the etiquette of betting, for the 
simple reason that this book is not meant for betting folk.] 



DUMMY 

Is played by three players. 

One hand, called Dummy's, lies exposed on the table. 

The laws are the same as those of ^yhist, with the following ex- 
ceptions : 

I. Dummy deals at the commeDcement of each rubber. 

II. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke, as his adversaries see 
his cards. Should he revoke and the error not be discovered until 
the trick is turned and quitted, it stands good. 

III. Dummy being blind and deaf, his partner is not liable to any penalty 
for an error whence he can gain no advantage. Thus, he may expose 
some, or all of his cards, or may declare that he has the game or 
trick, etc., without incurring any penalty; if, however, he lead from 
Dummy's hand, when he should have led from his own, or vice versd, 
a suit may be called from the hand which ought to have led. 

Double-Dummy 

Is played by two players, each having a Dummy or exposed hand 
for his partner. The laws of the game do not differ from Dummy 
Whist, except in the following special law: There is no misdeal, as 
the deal is a disadvantage. 



GLOSSAEY OF WHIST TERMS. 



193 



GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THE GAME OF WHIST. 

Bumper. — Winning two games — i. e., eight points — before your ad- 
versaries have scored. 

Command of a suit. — Having the best cards of that suit. See Es- 
taUish. 

Conventional signals. — Certain recognized methods of playing by 
which information is afforded to your partner as to the state of 
your hand, more especially as to its numerical strength. 

Cross-ruff. — See See-saw. 

Discard. — The card you play when you cannot follow suit, and do 

not trump it (if a plain suit). 
Double. — Scoring tive before your adversaries have scored three. 
Echo, The. — Asking for trumps in response to your partner's signal. 

The Echo means that you have four trumps at least. 
Eldest hand. — The player on the dealer's left hand. 
Establish. — A suit is said to be established when either you have 

exhausted all the best cards in it which were against you, or 

have the power of doing so by playing your commanding cards. 

See Command. 

False card. — Playing a card contrary to the conventional rules of 
the game with the view of deceiving your adversary. 

Finessing. — An endeavor, when second or third player, to take a 
trick with a lower card, when a higher, not in sequence with it, 
is in your hand, in the hopes that the intermediate card or cards 
may be with your right-hand adversary or your own partner. 

Forcing. — Leading a plain-suit card that compels your adversary or 
partner to play a trump to take the trick. 

Fourchette. — The two cards on either side of a card led, thus: King 
and Knave make the fourchette to the Queen led; Queen and 
ten make the fourchette to the Knave; and so on. 

Game. — Scoring five points. 

Guarded. — A second-best card is said to be ''guarded" if you hold 
a small card of the suit which you can play to the best card. A 
third-best card generally requires two guards. ..X 

Hand. — The thirteen cards held by each player. 

Honors. — Ace, King, Queen, and Knave of trumps. Ten and nine 
are sometimes called the Dutch honors. 



194 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



King card.— The best card left in each suit. Thus, if the Ace and 

King were out, the Queen would be the King-card. 
Lead, the. — The play of first card to a round or trick. 
Leader. — The first to play each round. 

Leading through and up to. — If you play first you are said to lead 
through your left-hand adversary, and up to your right-hand 
adversary. 

Long suit. — One of which you hold originally more than three cards. 

The term is, therefore, indicative of strength in numbers. 
Long trumps. — The last trumps held in one hand. 
Long cards. — The last cards of the suit held in one hand. 
Losing card, a. — A card which will not take a trick in its suit. 
Love. — Nothing scored. 

Make. — To mahe a mrcZ means to win a trick with it. To make the 

cards means to shuffle. 
Opening. — The plan on which the game is commenced. 
Partie, a. — The same players playing two rubbers consecutively, or, 

should it be necessary, a third rubber, to decide which is the 

best of the three rubbers. 
Penultimate, the. — The lowest card but one of a suit led. It is the 

conventional signal that you hold more than four cards in the 

suit you have thus led. 
Peter, the. — The signal for trumps. 
Plain suits. — Suits not trumps. 

Points. — The score made by tricks or honors; for each trick after 

six, one point is scored. 
Quarts. — Sequence of any four cards. 

Quart-major. — The sequence of the four highest cards of a suit. 
Quitted. — A trick is said to be quitted when the four cards con- 
stituting it have been gathered up, turned on the table, and left. 
Quint. — Sequence of any five cards. 

Re-entry. — Winning a trick at an advanced period of the hand, so as 

to secure you the lead. 
Renounce. — To play a card of another suit than that led, holding 

none of the latter. 
Revoke. — To play a card of another suit though holding a card of 

the suit led. 

<3 Rubber. — Two games won in succession, or two out of three games. 
Ruffing. — Trumping a suit. 



GLOSSARY OF WHIST TERMS. 



195 



Score. — The points marked by coins, counters, or otherwise. 

Seesaw. — Partners trumping each a suit, and leading to each other 
for that purpose. Also called a Cross-ruff. 

Sequence. — Three or more consecutive cards in the order of their 
merit. A sequence of three cards is called a tierce, of four a 
quart, of five a quint, and so on. Ace, King, and Queen are 
called tierce-major. An under sequence is one at the bottom of 
the suit. An intermediate one neither at the top nor at the bot- 
tom of the suit. 

Sliort suit. — A suit of three or less than three cards. 

Signal for trumps. — Playing an unnecessarily high card, following it 
by a smaller card of the same suit. 

Single, a.— Making game after your adversary has scored three or 
four up. 

Singleton. — One card only in a suit. 
Slam. — Making every trick. 

Strong suit. — One containing more than the average number of high 
cards — in contradistinction to numerical strength or length. 

Tenace. — The best and third best card (in the same hand), for the 
time being, of any suit. 

Tierce. — Sequence of any three cards. 

Tierce-major. — The sequence of the three highest cards of a suit. 

Treble. — Scoring five before your adversary scores one. 

Triclc, a, — Four cards played to a round, viz., the card led, and the 
three cards played to it. 

Trump card, the. — The card turned up by the dealer. 

Trumps. — Cards of the same suit as that turned up by the dealer. 

TJnder-play. — Speaking generally, it means keeping back best cards, 
and playing subordinate ones (not in sequence) instead. It 
differs from finessing in this, that the object is not to take the 
trick with the smaller card, but to conceal the possession of the 
higher card or cards, so as to use them more effectively later. 

Weak suit. — One containing less than the average number of high 
cards, in contradistinction to a suit short in number of cards, or 
length. 



196 



HOW TO PLAT WHIST. 



SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 
Problem L— First Solution, 
the hands. 



P j Diamonds— 10, 8, 6, 4, 3. 
^ ( Spades— 10, 9, 8, 7. 



Hearts— 10, 9, 8, 7. 
Clubs — none. 



" Diamonds — K, Kn. 
Spades — K, Kn. 
Hearts — K, Kn, 6. 

5, 4, 3, 2. 
Clubs— K, Kn. 





B 




Tr. D. 


Y 


z 




A leads. 



Diamonds — A, Q. 
Spades — A, Q, 6, 5, 

4, 3, 2. 
Hearts — A, Q. 
Clubs— A, Q. 



M j Diamonds — 9, 7, 2, 5. 
\ Spades— none. 



Hearts- 
Clubs- 



-none. 

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 
3, 2. 





A 


T 


B 


Z 


1. 


C2 


C Kn 


D 3 


CQ 


2. 


D2 


DKn 


D4 


DQ 


3. 


D 5 


SKn 


S7 


S2 


4. 


C 3 


CK 


D 6 


C A 


5. 


D 7 


DK 


D 8 


DA 


6. 


D 9 


HKn 


H 7 


HA 



Then A brings in his Clubs, Y and Z playing any cards whatever, 
and B retaining the long trump till the thirteenth trick. It is obvi- 
ous that T and Z are powerless. If Z leads Diamond Ace at trick 
3, the order of tricks 3, 4, and 5 is simply changed, but the result re- 
mains the same. So also, if Z leads a Heart or a Club at trick 3 in- 
stead of a Spade. 

Second Solution. 
Club, trumps. 

A—Q 10, 6, 5, 4; D 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. 

T—C A, K; H Q, Kn; D A, Q; S K, Kn, 10, 9, 8, 6, 5. 

B—Q 9, 8, 7, 3, 2; H 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. 

Z—Q Q, Kn; H A, K, 2; S A, Q, 7, 4, 3, 2; D K, Kn. 



SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 



197 



A 


Y 


B 


Z 


J. 


Y 


B 


Z 


U /C 






JJ IV 11 










C 1 






P TTn 










\j D 


11 ivn 


TT Q 


TT 9 rw 

±1 4/ or 


1^ o 




i 


Q 9 


Lf O 


U ii. 


\j i 


U Iv 


U 








C 5 


C A 


C 8 


C Q (a) 


C 6 


S8* 


H 3 


S 3 










D 4 


D A 


£9 


D K 










CIO 


HKn 


H4 


H 2 



(a) Whether Y plays a Heart or Spade, A is bound to bring in his 
Diamonds. 



Problem II.— Solution. 

Trick 1. A leads Spade Ace. 

" 2. A leads Club Ace, trumped by B. 

" d. B leads small Spade, trumped by A. 

" 4. A leads King of Clubs, trumped by B. 

" 5. B leads Spade, trumped by A. 

/' 6. A leads Queen of Clubs, trumped by B. 

1. B leads Spade, trumped by A. 



Problem III.— Solution. 

1. B plays Club. A puts Spade Ace. Won by A. 

2. A plays Diamond Ace. Won by A. 

3. A plays Spade 2. Won by ^. 

4. B plays Spade King. A discards Diamond. Won by B. 

5. B plays Club. A discards Diamond. 

Then Y must discard either Diamond ^^^sJIeart, and B plays ac- 
cordingly. 



Problem IV.— Solution. 
If Z wins the trick with his small trump, YZ lose. Winning with 
his Queen of trumps, Z leads the three. Y having the tenace over 
A wins two rounds of trumps, and leads his winning Heart. 



* Jt ^oes not matter what Y plays. 



198 



HOW TO PLAY WHIST. 



Problem V.— Solution. 







Y 


B 


Z 


1st Trick. 


S A 


S2 


S 7 


SK 


2d " 


HKn 


H7 


H3 


H2 


3d 


H6 ^ 


H8 


H9 


H5 


4th " 


SKn 


HK 


HA 


D4 


5th " 


SQ 


D2 


H4 


D 7 


6th 


C5 


S3 


S 10 


D8 


7th 


C3 


S4 


S9 


C Kn 


8th " 


C2 


S5 


S8 


CQ 


9th '\ 


D 5 


C4 


HQ 


CK 


10th " 


D 6 


S6 


H 10 


D9 


11th 


DKn 


C 7 


D 3 


D 10 


12th " 


D A 


C8 


C6 


DE 


13th 


DQ 


C 9 


C 10 


C A 



The lead of Spade Ace and the discard of Queen and Knave are 
the ' ' points " of this problem. 



Problem VI.— Solution. 
A leads Ace Heart, B discarding Spade Four ; A leads Spade ten ; 
B trumps if necessary (the play being simplified if he has not to), 
leads winning trump, and the remainder of the hand plays itself ac- 
cording to the discards. 



Problem YII.— Solution. 

A clears out trumps, B discarding his Diamonds ; A continues 
with his long Diamonds ; and B wins the remaining tricks, his play 
varying according to the discards, but being obvious in every case. 



Problems VIII. and IX.— Solution (see Game XL.). 
The additional notes for Problem VIII. ; the game itself f or 
Problem IX. 



SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 



199 



Problem X.— The Great Vienna Coup. 
The key to this problem, interesting as having occurred in actual 
play — though we venture to demur to the statement that the holder 
of the winning hands said he should make every trick as soon as he 
had seen the hands — consists in forcing the opposite hands to discard 
from one or other of the suits which seem to be perfectly guarded. 
A takes out three rounds in trumps, then leads his small trump. If 
now second player discards either a Spade or a Diamond, there is 
no difficulty, as he thereby unguards the suit from which he dis- 
cards. If second player discards a Heart at the fourth round, he 
equally unguards that suit ; but, owing to the position of the other 
two suits, it would not do for A now to lead a Heart. He must 
first lead the Ace of Spades, then a Heart, discarding Queen of 
Spades at the first opportunity. The rest is obvious. One of the 
features of this double-dummy puzzle is that it is easy to suppose 
that one has solved it when one really has not. 



THE END. 



BOOKS ON GAMES AND SPORTS. 



How to Play Whist. 

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Laws and Eegulations of Short Whist. 

Laws and Regulations of Short Whist, Adopted by the Washington 
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Modern Whist. By Fisher Ames. With the Laws of the Game. 
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Dress. By George B. Bartlett. 16mo, Cloth, |1 00. 

NewelPs Games and Songs- of American Children, 

Games and Songs of American Children. Collected and Compared by 
William Wells Newell. 8vo, Cloth, $1 50. 

Alden's Canoe and Flying Proa, 

The Canoe and the Flying Proa; or, Cheap Cruising and Safe Sailing. 
By W. L. Alden. With Illustrations. 32mo, Paper, 25 cents ; Cloth, 
40 cents. 

Murphy's Sporting Adventures in the Far West. 

Sporting Adventures in the Far West. By J. M. Murphy. Illustrated. 
12mo, Cloth, $1 50. 

Wells's Fly-Eods and Fly-Fishing, 

Fly-Rods and Fly-Fishing. Suggestions as to their Manufacture and 
Use. By Henry P. Wells. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Illuminated Cloth, 
$2 50. 

Hallook's Fishing Tourist. 

The Fishing Tourist : Angler's Guide and Reference Book. By 
Charles Hallock, Secretary of the " Blooming - Grove Park Associ- 
ation." Illustrated. Crown 8vo, Cloth, $2 00. 

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

5^ Harper & Brothers ivill send any of the above works by mail, postage pre' 
paid, to any part of the United States or Canada^ on receipt of the price. 



1 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENM TAYLOK. 



In Two Volumes. With Portrait. Vol. L, pp. x., 308 ; Vol. 
IL, pp., viii., 2*88. 8vo, Cloth, $3 00. 

No English autobiography with which we are acquainted is compar- 
able with Sir Henry Taylor's book in respect of simplicity, sincerity, and 
candor. With a modesty that is never strained or misplaced, with a 
frank recognition of his own earnest efforts to do praiseworthy things, 
and a just appraisement of the measure of success attending them, with- 
out the faintest indication of a wish to disparage the talents or the tri- 
umphs of other men, or to depict himself as greater or better than he 
was, the author in his green old age tells the story of a busy, useful, 
and interesting life, which has had its share of honor, and will leave be- 
hind it fruitage of a rare and sterling sort. — N. T. Sim, 

In the midst of so much that is necessarily inharmonious and provoca- 
tive of envy, malice, and all uncharitableness, in the avalanche of personal 
detail, it is delightful to come upon an autobiography like this of Sir 
Henry Taylor's, with its panorama of life critically yet kindly presented. 
. . . The work is thoroughly entertaining, and the entertainment is of a 
high order. One recalls what Gladstone said of Taylor, that he "only 
j needed ambition to make him a great man." — Boston Eveniyig Traveller. 
It is an exceptionally interesting and entertaining book, as it tells 
the history of a long life spent in many useful works, and in intimate 
I connection with the important Englishmen and English events of the 
I past eighty years. . . . His recollections of men and his record of the 
1 striking events of his time are extremely readable, and the whole book 
I may be taken as a representative autobiography of one of the literary 
men of the old school who did something beside write books. — Brooklyn 
Union. 

These two volumes are worthy to flank any of an autobiographical 
nature which have been published. Mr. Taylor knew all the literary and 
political lions of his time, and tells much that is new and entertaining 
about them. He is strong in the critical faculty, and makes many wise 
comments on his contemporaries. — iV. Y. Journal of Commerce. 

No other man in England, probably, or at least none who would write 
it out, possessed such an intimate personal knowledge of the conspicu- 
ous men and women of the present era. His knowledge of the literary 
.world began with Southey, and embraced the very youngest poets now 
writing. With novelists, historians, scientists, he had an intimate per- 
sonal relation, visiting them in their homes and receiving them in his. 
ae knew the men and women of whom the world delights to hear, and 

I'le therefore fills many pages with interesting reminiscences. . . . The two 
(folumes are certain to be widely read. — N. Y. Times. 
Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 
I®* Harper & Brothers will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid, to any 
part of the United States or Caiiada, on receipt of the 'price. 



i 



OATS OR WILD OATS! 



Common-sense for Young Men. By J. M. Buckley, LL.D. 
pp. xiv., 306. I2mo, Cloth, $1 50. 

It is a good book, which ought to do good on a large scale. . . . Such 
passages as those headed Tact, Observation, Reflection, Self-command, and 
the like, may be read and re-read many times with advantage. — Brooklyn 
Union. 

A book which should be recommended to the consideration of every 
young man who is preparing to go into a business career or any other in 
which he may aspire to become an honorable, useful, and prosperous citi- 
zen. . . . Dr. Buckley knows the trials and the temptations to which 
young men are exposed, and his book, while written in most agreeable 
language, is full of excellent counsel, and illustrations are given by an- 
ecdotes and by examples which the author has observed or heard of in 
his own experience. Besides general advice, there are especial chapters j 
relating to professional, commercial, and other occupations. So good a I 
book should be widely distributed, and it will tell on the next generation. | 
— Philadelphia Bulletin. 

It is a model manual, and will be as interesting to a bright, go-ahead 
boy as a novel. — Philadelphia Record. 

The scheme of the book is to assist young men in the choice of a 
profession or life pursuit by explaining the leading principles and char- 
acteristics of different branches of business, so that the reader may see 
what his experiences are Hkely to be, and thus be enabled to make an 
intelligent selection among the many avenues of labor. In order to make 
his work accurate and comprehensive. Dr. Buckley has consulted mer- 
chants, lawyers, statesmen, farmers, manufacturers, men in all walks of 
life, and specialists of every description, visiting and examining their es- 
tablishments, offices, and studios. From the knowledge thus gained he 
has prepared the greater part of his book The remainder is given to 
general advice, and contains the old maxims familiar to all young men 
from the time of Poor Richard. Success is won by good behavior, intelli- 
gence, and industry. These are the " Oats." The " Wild Oats " of lazi- 
ness, carelessness, and dissipation bring ruin, disaster, and misery. The 
work is likely to attract readers from its practical value as a compendiuui 
of facts relatiug to the various departments of labor rather than on ac- 
count of its moral injunctions. It cannot help being very useful to the 
class of young men for whom it is intended, as also to parents who have ] 
boys to start out into the world. — iV. Y. Times. 



Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

B3^ Haepeu &>; Bkotheks will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid^ to 
any part of the United States or Canada^ on receipt of the price. 




BOOTS AND SADDLES ; 

Or, Life in Dakota with General Custer. By Mrs. Eliz- 
abeth B. Custer. With Portrait of General Custer. 
pp.312. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. 

A book of adventure is interesting reading, especially when it is all true, 
as is the case with ''Boots and Saddles." * * * She does not obtrude the 
fact that sunshine and solace went with her to tent and fort, but it in- 
heres in her narrative none the less, and as a consequence " these simple 
annals of our daily life," as she calls them, are never dull nor uninterest- 
ing. — Evangelist^ N. Y. 

Mrs. Custer's book is in reality a bright and sunny sketch of the life 
of her late husband, who fell at the battle of " Little Big Horn." * * * 
After the war, when General Custer was sent to the Indian frontier, his 
wife was of the party, and she is able to give the minute story of her 
husband's varied career, since she was almost always near the scene of 
his adventures. — Brooklyn Union. 

We have no hesitation in saying that no better or more satisfactory life 
of General Custer could have been written. Indeed, we may as well 
speak the thought that is in us, and say plainly that we know of no bio- 
graphical work anywhere which we count better than this. * * * Surely the 
record of such experiences as these will be read with that keen interest 
which attaches only to strenuous human doings ; as surely we are right 
in saying that such a story of truth and heroism as that here told will 
take a deeper hold upon the popular mind and heart than any work of 
fiction can. For the rest, the narrative is as vivacious and as lightly and 
trippingly given as that of any novel. It is enriched in every chapter with 
illustrative anecdotes and incidents, and here .and there a little life story 
of pathetic interest is told as an episode. — N. Y. Commercial Advertiser. 

It is a plain, straightforward story of the author's life on the plains of 
Dakota. Every member of a Western garrison will want to read this 
book ; every person in the East who is interested in Western life will 
want to read it, too; and every girl or boy who has a healthy appetite 
for adventure will be sure to get it. It is bound to have an army of read- 
ers that few authors can expect. — Philadelphia Press. 

These annals of daily life in the army are simple, yet interesting, and 
underneath all is discerned the love of a true woman ready for any sacri- 
fice. She touches on themes little canvassed by the civilian, and makes a 
volume equally redolent of a loving devotion to an honored husband, and 
attractive as a picture of necessary duty by the soldier. — Commonwealth^ 
Boston. 

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, N. Y. 

J8®* Harpur & Brothers will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid^ to any 
part of the United States or Canada^ on receipt of the price. 



FLY-RODS AND FLY-TACKLE. 

Suggestions as to their Manufacture and Use, By Henry 
P. Wells. Illustrated, pp. 364. Post Syo, Illumi- 
nated Cloth, $2 50. 

Mr. Wells has devoted more time and attention to the materials used in 
fly-fishing than any person we know of, and his experience is well set forth 
in this most valuable book. * * The author is an amateur rod-maker who 
has experimented with every wood known to rod manufacturers, as well as 
with some that are not known to them, and therefore he is an undoubted 
authority on the subject. This chapter and the one following, whici^ gives 
directions in rod-making, forms the most perfect treatise on rods extant, 
jf -x- * rjij^g book is one of great value, and will take its place as a standard 
authority on all points of which it treats, and we cannot commend it too 
highly. — Forest and Stream^ N. Y. 

Since Izaak Walton lingered over themes piscatorial, we have learned to 
expect, in all essays on the gentle art of angling, a certain daintiness and 
elegance of hterary form as well as technical utility. Publisher and author 
have co-operated to meet these traditional requirements in " Fly-Rods and 
Fly-Tackle." ^ Mr. Wells's competence to expound the somewhat in- 
tricate principles and deUcate processes of fly-fishing will be plain to any 
reader who himself has some practical acquaintance with the art discussed. 
The value of the author's instructions and suggestions is signally enhanced 
by their minuteness and lucidity. — JSf. Y. Sun. 

A complete manual for the ambitious lover of fishing for trout. * "'^ * All 
lovers of fly-fishing should have Mr. Wells's book in their outfit for the 
sport that is near at hand. — Philadelphia Bulletin. 

Mr. Wells reveals to us the mysteries of lines, leaders, and reels, rods, 
rod material, and rod-making. He lets us into the secret of making re- 
pairs, and gives all due directions for casting the fly. * * Moreover, Mr. 
Wells writes in an attractive style. There is a certain charm in the heart- 
iness and grace wherewith he expresses his appreciation of those beauties 
of nature which the angler has so unlimited an opportunity of enjoying. 
Thus what may be called not only a technical, but also a scientific, knowl- 
edge of his subject is combined with a keen delight in hill, stream, and for- 
est for the sake of the varied loveliness they display. — JSf. Y. Telegram. 

A book of practical hints about the manufacture and use of anglers' 
gear. Fish-hooks, lines, leaders, rods and rod-making, repairs, flies and 
fly-fishing, are among the important subjects discussed with great fulness. 
The essay on "Casting the Fly" and "Miscellaneous Suggestions" are 
rich in points for beginners. It is to the latter, and not to the experts, 
that Mr. Wells modestly dedicates his work. His object is to supply pre- 
cisely the kind of information of which he stood so much in need during 
his own novitiate. — N. Y. Journal of Commerce. 



Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

ig®^ The above work sent by mail, postage prejjaid, to any part of the United Stat^ 
or Canada^ on receipt of the price. 



SOME POPULAR NOVELS 



Published by HAEPEE & BEOTHEES New York. 



The Octavo Paper Novels in this list may be obtained in half-binding [leather backs 
and pasteboard sides], suitable for Public and Circulating Libraries, at 25 ce^its 
per volume, in addition to the prices named below. The 32mo Paper Novels may be 
obtained in Cloth, at 15 cents per volume in addition to the prices named below. 

For a Full Libt op Novels published by Harper & Brothers, see Harper's New 
AND Eeviseb Catalogue, which ivill be sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any ad- 
dress in the U^iited States, on receipt of Ten cents. 



PRICE 

BAKER'S (Rev. W. M.) Carter Quarterman. Illustrated 8vo, Paper $ 60 

Inside : a Chronicle of Secession. Illustrated 8 vo, Paper 75 

The New Timothy 12mo, Cloth, $1 50 ; 4to, Paper 25 

The Virginians in Texas 8vo, Paper 75 

BENEDICT'S (F. L.) John Worthington's Name 8 vo, Paper 75 

Miss Dorothy's Charge ....8vo, Paper 75 

Miss Van Kortland 8vo, Paper 60 

My Daughter Elinor 8vo, Paper 80 

St. Simon's Niece , 8vo, Paper 60 

BESANT'S (W.) All in a Garden Fair " 4to, Paper 20 

BESANT & RICE'S All Sorts and Conditions of Men 4to, Paper 20 

By Celia's Arbor. Illustrated 8 vo, Paper 50 

Shepherds All and Maidens Fair 32mo, Paper 25 

" So they were Married !" Illustrated 4to, Paper 20 

Sweet Nelly, My Heart's Delight 4to, Paper 10 

The Captains' Room ....4to, Paper 10 

The Chaplain of the Fleet 4to, Paper 20 

The Golden Butterfly 8vo, Paper 40 

'Twas in Trafalgar's Bay ....82mo, Paper "^0 

When the Ship Comes Home 32mo, Paper 25 

BLACK'S (W.) A Daughter of Heth . 12mo, Cloth, $1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 85 

A Princess of Thule 12mo, Cloth, 1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 50 

Green Pastures and Piccadilly. .12mo, Cloth, 1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 50 

In Silk Attire 12mo, Cloth, 1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 35 

Judith Shakespeare. Ill'd 12mo, Cloth, 125; 4to, Paper 20 

Kilmeny 12mo, Cloth, 1 25; 8 vo. Paper 35 

Macleod of Dare. Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, 125; 8vo, Paper 60 

4to, Paper 15 

Madcap Violet 12mo, Cloth, 125; 8vo, Paper 50 

Shandon Bells. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth, 125; 4to, Paper 20 

Sunrise 12mo, Cloth, 1 25 ; 4to, Paper 15 

That Beautiful Wretch. Iird...l2mo, Cloth, 1 25 ; 4to, Paper 20 

The Maid of Killeena, and Other Stories 8vo, Paper 40 

The Monarch of Mincing-Lane. Illustrated 8 vo. Paper 50 

The Strange Adventures of a Phaeton. 12mo, Cloth, $1 25 ; 8vo, Pa. 50 

Three Feathers. Illustrated 12mo, Clothy $1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 50 

White Wings. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth, 125; 4to, Paper 20 

Yolande. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth, $1 25; 4to, Paper 20 



2 



Harper d' Brothers^ Popular Novels, 



PEIOE 

BLACKMORE'S (R. D.) Alice Lorraine 8vo, Paper $ 50 

Christowell 4to, Paper 20 

Clara Vaughan 4to, Paper 15 

Cradock Nowell 8 vo, Paper 60 

Cripps, the Carrier. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Eretoa Svo, Paper 50 

Lorna Doone 12mo, Cloth, $1 00 ; Svo, Paper 25 

Mary Anerlev 16mo, Cloth, 100; 4to, Paper 15 

The Maid of Sker Svo, Paper 50 

Tommy Upmore 16mo, Cloth, 50 cents; 16mo, Paper 35 

4to, Paper 20 

BRADDOX'S (Miss) An Open Verdict Svo, Paper 35 

A Strange World ..Svo, Paper 40 

Asphodel 4to, Paper 15 

Aurora Floyd Svo, Paper 40 

Barbara; or. Splendid Misery 4to, Paper 15 

Birds of Prey. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Bound to John Company. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Charlotte's Inheritance Svo, Paper 35 

Dead Men's Shoes Svo, Paper 40 

Dead Sea Fruit. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Eleanor's Victory Svo, Paper 60 

Fenton's Quest. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Flower and Weed 4to, Paper 10 

Hostages to Fortune. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

John Marchmont's Legacy Svo, Paper 50 

Joshua Haggard's Daughter. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Just as I Am 4to, Paper 15 

Lost for Love. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

' Mistletoe Bough, ISYS. Edited by M. E. Braddon 4to, Paper 15 

Mistletoe Bough, 1S79. Edited by M. E. Braddon 4to, Paper 10. 

Mistletoe Bough, 1S84. Edited by M. E. Braddon 4to, Paper 20 

Mount Royal 4to, Paper 15 

Phantom Fortune 4io, Paper 20 

Publicans and Sinners Svo, Paper 50 

Strangers and Pilgrims. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Taken at the Flood Svo, Paper 50 

The Cloven Foot 4to, Paper 15 

The Lovels of Arden. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

To the Bitter Ead. Illustrated Svo, Paper 50 

Under the Red Flag 4to, Paper 10 

Vixen 4to, Paper 15 

Weavers and Weft , Svo, Paper 25 

Wyllard's Weird 4to, Paper 20 

BREAD-WINNERS, THE 16mo, Cloth 1 00 

BRONTE'S (Charlotte) Jane Eyre. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth 1 00 

4to, Paper, 15 cents; Svo, Paper 40 

Shirley. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth, $1 00; Svo, Paper 50 

The Professor. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth 1 00 



Harper Brothers' Popular Novels, 



3 



PEIOE 

BRONTE'S (Charlotte) Villette. lU'd. 12mo, Cloth, $1 00; 8vo, Paper $ 50 

BRONTE'S (Anna) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. IlPd... . ]2mo, Cloth 1 00 

BRONTE'S (Emily) Wuthering Heights. Hlustrated 12mo, Cloth 1 00 

BULWER'S (Lytton) Alice 8vo, Paper 35 

A Strange Story. Illustrated. ...12mo, Cloth, $1 25; 8vo, Paper 50 

Devereiix 8vo, Paper 40 

Ernest Maltravers 8vo, Paper 35 

Godolphin 8vo, Paper 35 

Kenelm Chillingly ,.12mo, Cloth, $1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 50 

Leila 12mo, Cloth, $1 00 ; 8vo, Paper 25 

My Novel 2 vols. 12mo, Cloth, 2 50 ; 8vo, Paper '75 

Night and Morning 8 vo. Paper 50 

Paul Clifford 8 vo, Paper 40 

Pausanias the Spartan 12mo, Cloth, 75 cents ; 8vo, Paper 25 

Pelham ^ 8vo, Paper 40 

Rienzi 8vo, Paper 40 

The Caxtons 12nio, Cloth, $1 25 ; 8vo, Paper 50 

The Coming Race 12mo, Cloth, 1 00; 12mo, Paper 50 

The Last Days of Pompeii .8vo, Paper, 25 cents ; 4to, Paper 15 

The Last of the Barons ..8vo, Paper 50 

The Parisians. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth, $1 50; 8vo, Paper 60 

The Pilgrims of the Rhine 8vo, Paper 20 

What will He do with it ? 8vo, Paper 75. 

Zanoni 8vo, Paper 35 

COLLINS'S (Wilkie) Novels. Ill'd Library Edition. 12mo, Cloth, per vol. 1 25 
After Dark, and Other Stores. — Antonina. — Armadale. — Basil. — 
Hide-and-Seek. — Man and Wife. — My Miscellanies. — No Name, 
— Poor Miss Finch. — The Dead Secret. — The Law and the Lady. 
— The Moonstone. — -The New Magdalen. — The Queen of Hearts. 
— The Two Destinies.— The Woman in White. 

Antonina 8vo, Paper 40 

Armadale. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 60 

" I Say No ".16mo, Cloth, 50 cts. ; 16mo, Paper, 35 cts. ; 4to, Paper 20 

Man and Wife 4to, Paper 20 

My Lady's Money 32mo, Paper 25 

No Name, Illustrated 8vo, Paper 60 

Percy and the Prophet 32mo, Paper 20 

Poor Miss Finch. Illustrated 8vo, Cloth, $1 10; 8vo, Paper 60 

The Law and the Lady. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 50 

The Moonstone. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 60 

The New Magdalen 8vo, Paper 30 

The Two Destinies. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 35 

The Woman in White. Illustrated 8 vo, Paper 60 

CRAIK'S (Miss G. M.) Anne Warwick 8vo, Paper 25 

Dorcas 4to, Paper 15 

Fortune's Marriage 4to, Paper 20 

Godfrey Helstone 4to, Paper 20 

Hard to Bear 8vo, Paper 30 

Mildred 8vo, Paper 30 



4 



Harper & Brothers* Popular Novels. 



CRAIK'S (Miss G. M.) Sydney 4to, Paper $ 

Sylvia's Choice 8vo, Paper 

Two Women 4to, Paper 

DICKENS'S (Charles) Works. Household Edition. Illustrated. 8vo. 

Set of 16 vols., Cloth, in box 22 00 



PJBIOB 
16 

30 
15 



A Tale of Two Cities.Paper $ 
Cloth 1 



Barnaby Rudge .Paper 1 00 

Cloth 1 50 

Bleak House Paper 1 00 

50 
00 
1 50 
1 00 
1 50 



Cloth 1 
Christmas Stories. ...Paper 1 



Cloth 

David Copperfield. . .Paper 
Cloth 



DombeyandSon Paper 1 .00 

Cloth 1 50 

Great Expectations.. . Paper 1 

Cloth 1 

Little Dorrit Paper 1 

Cloth 1 



Martin Chuzzlewit Cloth 1 

Nicholas Nickleby Paper 1 

Cloth 1 

Oliver Twist Paper 

Cloth 1 

Our Mutual Friend Paper 1 

Cloth 1 



Martin Chuzzlewit.... Paper 1 00 

Pickwick Papers 4to, Paper 

The Mudfog Papers, &c 4to, Paper 

Mystery of Edwin Drood. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 

Hard Times Svo, Paper 

Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy Svo, Paper 

DE MILLE'S A Castle in Spain. Ill'd. Svo, Cloth, $1 00 ; Svo, Paper 

Cord and Creese. Illustrated Svo, Paper 

The American Baron. Illustrated Svo, Paper 

The Cryptogram. Illustrated Svo, Paper 

The Dodge Club. Illustrated... .Svo, Paper, 60 cents ; Svo, Cloth 
The Living Link. Illustrated. ...Svo, Paper, 60 cents ; Svo, Cloth 

DISRAELI'S (Earl of Beaconsfield) Endymion 4to, Paper 

The Young Duke 12mo, Cloth, $1 50 ; 4to, Paper 

EDWARDS'S (A. B.) Barbara's History .Svo, Paper 

Debenham's Vow. Illustrated Svo, Paper 

Half a Million of Money Svo, Paper 

Lord Brackenbury 4to, Paper 

Miss Carew Svo, Paper 

My. Brother's Wife Svo, Paper 

.EDWARDS'S (M. B.) Disarmed ^. 4to, Paper 

Exchange No Robbery 4to, Paper 

Kitty Svo, Paper 

Pearla 4to, Paper 

^ELIOT'S (George) Novels. Library Edition. Ill'd . 1 2mo, Cloth, per vol. 

Popular Edition. Illustrated 12mo, Cloth, per vol. 

Adam Bede. — Daniel Deronda, 2 vols. — Felix Holt, the Radical. — 
Middlemarch, 2 vols. — Romola. — Scenes of Clerical Life, a7id 
Silas Marner. — The Mill on the Floss. 



50 
00 
50 
50 
00 
00 
50 
00 
50 



Pickwick Papers Paper 1 

Cloth 1 

Pictures from Italy, Sketches by 
Boz, American Notes ...Paper 1 
Cloth 1 

The Old Curiosity Shop... Paper 
Cloth 1 

Uncommercial Traveller, Hard 
Times, Edwin Drood... Paper 1 00 
Cloth 



50 
20 
10 
25 
25 
10 
50 
60 
50 
1h 
10 
10 
15 
15 
50 
50 
50 
15 
85 
25 
15 
15 
35 
20 
25 
^75 



Harper d: Brothers' Popular Novels. 



5 



ELIOT'S (George) Amos Barton 32mo, Paper $ 20 

Brother Jacob.— The Lifted Veil 32mo, Paper 20 

Daniel Deronda .8vo, Paper 50 

Felix Holt, the Radical 8vo, Paper 50 

Janet's Repentance 82mo, Paper 20 

Middleraarch , 8 vo, Paper 75 

Mr. Gilfil's Love Story 32mo, Paper 20 

Romola. Illustrated 8 vo, Paper 50 

Silas Marner 12mo, Paper 20 

Scenes of Clerical Life 8vo, Paper 50 

The Mill on the Floss 8vo, Paper 50 

FARJEON'S An Island Pearl. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 30 

At the Sign of the Silver Flagon 8vo, Paper 25 

Blade-o'-Grass. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 30 

Bread-and-Cheese and Kisses. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 35 

Golden Grain. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 35 

Grif 8vo, Cloth 85 

Great Porter Square 4to, Paper 20 

Jessie Trim 8vo, Paper 35 

Joshua Marvel 8vo, Paper 40 

Love's Victory ' 8vo, Paper 20 

Shadows on the Snow. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 30 

The Bells of Penraven 4to, Paper 10 

The Duchess of Rosemary Lane 8vo, Paper 35 

The King of No-Land. Illustrated .8vo, Paper 25 

GASKELL'S (Mrs.) Cousin PhiUis 8vo, Paper 20 

Cranford 16mo, Cloth 1 25 

Mary Barton 8 vo, Paper, 40 cents ; 4to, Paper 20 

Moorland Cottage 18mo, Cloth 75 

My Lady Ludlow 8vo, Paper 20 

Right at Last, &c 12mo, Cloth 1 50 

Sylvia's Lovers 8vo, Paper 40 

Wives and Daughters. Illustrated 8vo, Paper 60 

GIBBON'S (C.) A Hard Knot 

A Heart's Problem , 4to, Paper 10 

By Mead and Stream •..4to, Paper 20 

For Lack of Gold 8vo, Paper 35 

For the King 8vo, Paper 30 

Heart's Delight 4to, Paper — 

In Honor Bound 8vo, Paper 35 

Of High Degree 4to, Paper 20 

Robin Gray 8vo, Paper 35 

Queen of the Meadow 4to, Paper 15 

The Braes of Yarrow 4to, Paper 20 

The Golden Shaft 4to, Paper 20 

HARDY'S (Lady) Daisy Nichol 8vo, Paper 35 

(Miss) Friend and Lover 4to, Paper 15 

(Thos.) Fellow-Townsmen 32mo, Paper 20 

A Laodicean. Illustrated 4to, Paper 20 



6 Harjper d: Brothers' Popular Novels, 



PEIOB 

HARDY'S (Thos.) Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid 4to, Paper $ 10 

HARRISON'S (Mrs.) Helen Troy 16mo, Cloth 1 OU 

Golden Rod 32mo, Paper 25 

HAY'S (M. C.) A Dark Inheritance 32mo, Paper 15 

A Shadow on the Threshold 32mo, Paper 20 

Among the Ruins, and Other Stories ,...4to, Paper 15 

At the Seaside, and Other Stories 4to, Paper 15 

Back to the Old Home 32mo, Paper 20 

Bid Me Discourse 4to, Paper 10 

Dorothy's Venture 4to, Paper 15 

For Her Dear Sake 4to, Paper 15 

Hidden Perils 8to, Paper 25 

Into the Shade, and Other Stories 4to, Paper 15 

Lady Carmichael's Will 32mo, Paper 15 

Lester's Secret 4to, Paper 20 

Missing , 32mo, Paper 20 

My First Offer, and Other Stories 4to, Paper 15 

Nora's Love Test 8vo, Paper 25 

Old Myddelton's Money 8vo, Paper 25 

Reaping the Whirlwind 32mo, Paper 20 

The Arundel Motto 8vo, Paper 25 

The Sorrow of a Secret 32mo, Paper 15 

The Squire's Legacy 8vo, Paper 25 

Under Life's Key, and Other Stories 4to, Paper 15 

Victor and Vanquished 8vo, Paper 25 

HOEY'S (Mrs. C.) A Golden Sorrow 8vo, Paper 40 

All or Nothing 4to, Paper 15 

Kate Cronin's Dowry 32mo, Paper 15 

The Blossoming of an Aloe 8vo, Paper 30 

The Lover's Creed 4to, Paper 20 

The Question of Cain 4to, Paper 20 

HUGO'S (Victor) Ninety-Three. lU'd. 12mo, Cloth, $1 75 ; 8vo, Paper 25 

The Toilers of the Sea. Ill'd 8vo, Cloth, 1 50 ; 8vo, Paper 50 

JAMES'S (Henry, Jun.) Daisy Miller 32mo, Paper 20^ 

An International Episode 32mo, Paper 20 . 

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It surpasses all its predecessors. — N. Y. Tribune. 




A Dictionary of the English Language, Pronouncing, Etymological, 
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